I was joking about the whole break thing. Australians can't afford fallout :(
Theun POV
As I sleep in my tent, I wake up to the sound of rustling leaves and breaking branches. I sit up straight and concentrate on the sounds that I hear. I can feel the mana circulating in my body gather around my ears as I concentrate and listen to my environment. Strange... I recall a similar feeling when I attacked the Eldeer but back then it was in my legs. I guess my control of mana has allowed me to empower the cells within me with mana, similar to an Eldeer. Enhancing my senses and physical abilities is quite the advantage over other people. Demons, if I recall correctly, have an inborn ability to manipulate mana which allows them to empower their muscles similar to how I empower my cells. Although it would seem that their ability is slightly weaker than mine, since I was able to kill the Eldeer effortlessly. The mana in my ears is giving me a whole new sensation I've never felt before, granted I've only been mortal for 2 days. Closing my eyes, I could somehow "see" what I heard and sense how far away everything is. A few more snapping of branches confirms my thoughts and I get out of my tent. I head straight to Sandra and Christi's tent and stop outside.
"There is something approaching us from the north. I believe it's a large pack of wolves around 20 in size." I whisper into the tent. It isn't too late and I hope that the sisters aren't asleep already. Some rustling within the tent is all I hear before Sandra bursts out of the tent. She eyes me cautiously but it feels more like a glare than anything else. I ignore her antics and proceed to inform everyone else, making sure not to cause too much of a stir. It takes each knight less than a minute to edit their tent fully prepared for combat. I stand to the side and ready my blade while everyone else forms a semi-circle around Christi and Kelion.
"My mana sense is reacting; they have a mediocre sized mana pool so expect they're most likely Silver Fangs. The leader is a bit under double of the rest." -Kelion
"Alright, this shouldn't be too difficult to handle. Kelion, put up a barrier, you're in charge of defence. We're going to give Christi a try at shooting live targets, don't let any of them get to our sides. Theun, do you want to join the formation?" -Sandra
"I'm fine thanks, I can handle myself." -Theun
Just as I finish my sentence, a large wolf jumps into the clearing. The wolf is 3 metres long and it's head is at the right height to simply rip someone's neck out. Its fur is a silver colour and gives off a metallic sheen in the night. It bares its sharp canines at us as it growls and glares directly at me. One by one, more wolves appear, but they are smaller than the first and their fur, less metallic. The alpha lifts its head into the air and howls, signalling the initiation of the fight. All the wolves begin to assault the formation, while the alpha stalks his way towards me.
Sandra POV
The alpha howls and immediately the pack of wolves begin to attack us. The Royal Guard stand their ground, shields raised. They knock each wolf back with the shield in their left hand and strike with the sword in their right whenever they can. The large pack guarantees that no one can let their guard down since there are at least 2 wolves for every guard. The metallic fur of Silver Fangs act like thin layers of metal, guarding its body against slices but is relatively weak against stabs.
As a swordsman, I don't have a shield, so I rely on the barrier and dodging to land strikes on the wolves. Silver Fangs aren't much trouble unless you are completely outnumbered and the Royal Guards’ training further tips the scale to our favour. As the pack thins down, I get more chances to glimpse at Theun who is fighting the alpha. Normally the alpha is the problem in a fight with Silver Fangs, it is generally twice as strong and its fur, three times as hard. However, I see several wounds on its back and belly where blood is constantly leaking. A shadow looms over me and I realise I've been too complacent. A flaming trail appears and the Silver Fang is knocked back, fur slightly charred. I turn to Christi and thank her with a nod before I resume fighting the rest of the wolves.
Theun POV
I see that the Knights have held their ground against the wolves and are about to finish up. Deciding it's time I killed the beast, I slash at its head a few times when it lunges at me again. I could have easily killed the beast earlier but refrained from doing so to not arouse suspicion.
"Wow, this is a lot of Fang fur. Boys, get out your knives and skin the beasts. We're having Silver Fang tonight!" -Jor
"Woohoo!" -Knights
"Quite the fight you had there, Theun. Surprised you didn't get hurt at all." -Jor
"I've been training myself to travel alone. I've killed some beasts on my way to Sanctium." -Theun
"I see. You've got a good arm; maybe you should join the military. Work for the nation and the pay is good too. Who knows, maybe one day you'll be a part of the Royal Guard like us." -Jor
"I'll consider it actually. I need the money if I want to be self-sufficient. I don’t have much left on me." -Theun
"Atta boy. Quite lucky to be with us and get a share of the Eldeer, aren’t you. Now skin the damn thing and share us some quality meat." -Jor
"I uhhh... didn't bring a knife with me." -Theun
"No knife? Here, take my spare. It's always useful to have a knife if you're travelling abroad on your own." -Jor
"Thanks..." -Theun
"After you're done with the beast, bring the meat over and we can have a chat as we eat" -Jor
Jor turns and leaves me to my kill. "Hahhhhh... I'm never going to hear the end of this" I think to myself as I begin to skin the beast. I make sure to stay close to the skin this time, which is easier with a knife than a katana. After I'm done I use the knife to further peel away some left over fur. At least it's an improvement over the Eldeer, right? Just ignore all the looks everyone's giving you, you're doing fine.
I wake up to the sounds of shuffling outside and decide to investigate what is going on. The sun hasn't risen just yet but I can see its rays beginning to peak over through the trees. I spot Sandra, Christi and Jor standing around the burn marks discussing something. I’m not so rude as to listen into their conversation with mana enhancements, so I just approach them normally. Christi spots me and a surprised expression is evident on her face, but she quickly regains her composure and informs the other two of my presence. Sandra looks up deep in thought as I make my way to the group.
"Did you find something?" -Theun
"Maybe... we need confirmation though." -Sandra
"Anything I can do to help?" -Theun
"No... Not yet. Just sit over there and let me discuss this further with Christina and Jor." -Sandra
"Okay?" -Theun
I don't quite understand what's going on but I have a feeling that it'll be troublesome. I look up to the sky and let my eyes stare off into the distance. It's been a relatively eventful first few days and I have enjoyed myself. Although I do wish for a few calm days once I’m in the city to focus on information gathering, I don't think I'd change anything if I could. The group seems to have finish discussing whatever they've been discussing and make their way to me.
"Theun of the Lost Demon Clans, you are hereby under arrest for involvement in suspicious activities that may or may not affect the city of Sanctium negatively. You are to be arrested to be brought before the king for interrogation. I hope you will follow peacefully and do not cause a scene." -Sandra
"Eh?" -Theun
Sandra POV
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
Discussing the idea that Theun was the cause of the flash of light with Jor and Christi, they agreed that the coincidences I've listed do seem too coincidental. The trip from our camp to this site took about 14 hours, Theun appeared 15 hours after the flash and considering he stopped to cook and eat the Eldeer, the timing seems too perfect. The direction he came from further proves my theory, the direction he came from leads through the Eldeer clearing and straight to this place. Plotting the three points on a map would make a perfect line from our camp to this place through the Eldeer clearing. How adamant he was that the Eldeer killer was a person, his "finding" of the buried campfire and battle prowess when he fought the Alpha Silver fang without breaking a sweat. Everything that's happened so far are like pieces of a puzzle and they all seem to fall in place when Theun is the culprit of the light.
He honestly doesn't seem to be a bad guy, all I can do is hope that he'll come along peacefully and this whole thing can be resolved after an audience with father. I know it's a farfetched goal but it's what I hope for. My allegiance is to my kingdom and not some gut feeling I have about an individual, if he acts against Sanctium, I will cut him down.
Theun moves his hands towards his sword; I reach for my sword while Christi begins a chant for
Two Days Later
The journey concluded without a hitch, arriving as the sun set over the horizon. It can be considered lucky for us not to encounter any beasts in the Aviri Forest; all I can say is Goddess Faeha must be watching over us and keeping beasts away. That or we've been blessed by Goddess Aidres, but either is fine by me if they were true. I asked Jor about why he didn't reach for his blade when Theun reached for his own. "He just doesn’t seem like that kind of boy." was all I got, and when I asked how he was so sure, "Experience. When you're as old I am, you tend to receive a few perks with age." is all he said. Jor even went as far as to spend time with Theun in case he was bored while he was cuffed. I wish I could be as trusting as Jor but my duty dictates otherwise.
I contacted father earlier today and asked for an escort to the palace. I specifically asked for a simple carriage for Theun, Christi, Jor and I while the rest of the knights walked back on their own. I didn't want to attract too much attention and if Theun is indeed innocent, I don't want to parade him in cuffs to the palace. We meet the carriage driver outside the city and ride it towards the palace. There are several checkpoints along the way but we are quickly allowed in when they saw Christi and I.
Arriving at the palace steps, I look up at the several towers and archways that make up a large portion of the palace. The black marble steps and pillar bases contrast the white that makes up a majority of the walls. Unique designs are seen on the base of each pillar, documenting every milestone father accomplished to defeat the Devils. Past the pillars are four large statues of the Hero and the 3 members of his party, although they are the King and his Queens now.
The first is father when he was younger, and his beard yet to grow as prominent as it is now. His hair is of medium length hair is combed backwards with a few strands falling into his face. His mouth is curved into a smirk and his jawline is as obvious as it is today. His hands are placed on a sword that is stood in the ground, and some fingers even have rings on them. The level of detail seen in the statue is astounding, the hair is realistic and the facial features are spot on.
Next is mother, Elven Queen of Hunt is what people call her. She has long straight hair that is held back with a headband. Her long elf ears poke through the hair and has several earring attached to them. She has thin eyebrows and a fierce look on her face as the statue is depicting her with a bow drawn and ready to fire. Overall, mother looks completely as she does now since she is an elf and does not age as humans do. Her slim body is slightly exaggerated however because I don't think mother has ever had that large of a bust.
After mother is Christi's mother, Aunt Rusaria, Archmage Queen. She has long and unruly hair that spikes outwards in most areas. The statue's eyes are close as it depicts Aunt Rusaria casting a spell. One hand on a staff that is lifted slightly above her head, the statue makes Aunt Rusaria look very mystical and powerful. Her mouth is slightly open into indicate a chant; her beautiful lips are parted and reveal a set of perfect teeth. Aunt Rusaria always disliked this statue because it doesn't show her eyes which are a defining characteristic of her. Aunt's eyes are special because they are not only red, which indicates her heritage; they also appear to be cross slit. The cross in her eyes doesn't appear in Christi however but Auntie says it's just something she hasn't obtained just yet.
The last statue is of Aunt Lena, Kayden's mother and Life Giving Queen. She was called this because of her excellence in healing abilities during the war, saving many lives. Aunt Lena has long hair that is tied into a bun on the back of her head. Her face is more rounded than most and she gives a very cheerful vibe with her lard round eyes. She is by far the shapeliest of the queens, with a very large bust and wide hips. Her large eyes are closed and her hands are clasped together in front of her chest in a praying pose.
I turn back and see Theun staring dumbfounded at the various statues that are on display. I can understand his sentiments as they really do look lifelike and to be able to see the Hero's party in such a grand display is rather breathtaking. I tell him to hurry up and move along since father is waiting for our arrival. When I told father about my apprehension of Theun, he demanded to speak with the man who may be responsible for such a display of magic. It certainly is a powerful spell if one can see it from here when it originated from the Aviri Forest.
We arrive at the door to the Throne Hall which is guarded by two knights. I tell one of them to enter, to tell my father that we've arrived and would like to seek an audience. The knight quickly disappears behind the door and returns moments later telling us its fine to enter. We enter the large hall and proceed down the carpet until we are I front of the stairs that lead to the throne. Sitting there is father with my mother and aunts beside him and my brother, Kayden, besides his mother. I give a slight bow while Christi curtsies and Jor gets on his knee, Theun is standing there gawking at the King and Queens. I understand he is new to the city and all but it is common courtesy to kneel before a king, and standing there with his mouth agape like that is very rude. I was about to chastise him but realise that father himself is returning that look to Theun. Before I can say anything though, father dismisses everyone in the Throne Hall except the Queens. I don't quite understand what's going on but I agree and leave with everyone else. Since they're original Hero's Party, it's safe to assume they can handle anything if a fight were break out.
Third Person
In the Throne Hall of a Kingdom stands two men staring at each other with mouths agape and wide eyed stares. One is the King of the country and the other a God on vacation. Several moments pass and the restless Queens whisper among themselves. Who was this young man? Why did their husband dismiss everyone else? And why has the (idiot) King forgotten about his etiquette? Surely a King shouldn't have a look like that on his face. Questions form in their mind before the silence is broken by the king.
"W-What are you d-doing here?" -King Alex Dalton
"What are YOU doing here?" -Theun
"You sent me here to save this world and lead the inhabitants to a peaceful future, Milord Mlithru! I thought that being a king would be the best course of action" -Alex
"HUH!?" -Queens
If you are reading this, then you probably realised this chapter is twice as long as the rest. Well originally I was going to release this chapter the day after the last one, until someone *cough*Xorasta*cough* said my chapters are too short. So yeah... In your face.
Jokes aside. The chapters are short because I wanted to keep only one plot point per chapter. If you guys want longer chapters, just say so in the comments. Release will be as it is, random and spontaneous, so don't worry about longer chapters meaning longer wait.