The Mask of Volesprit: Prologue
Nice (France), two days before Royal Road beta test.
Edward Lance, disgusted watched the scene happening before his eyes. The woman he had had a crush for the last six months and who had rejected him in the morning after he found the guts to ask her on a date, kissed passionately his 52 years old chief, who was the ugliest, tiniest, geekiest, t little fat pig he had ever seen.
She had rejected for THAT even though Edward was a splendid 22 years old bachelor specimen, nice, handsome and intelligent. Of course, she didn't know he was also the heir of one of the richest and most influential family on earth, who (of course) happened to own the company they worked in.
Why, one would want to ask? Because Edward was a fool who wanted a woman who would love him for his own worth and not for his inheritance. That's why he hide his lineage.
He even went against his mother better judgment and left his house, applied for a post in one of her company (while he wanted some freedom, he still wanted his work to serve his future companies interest) to try a common man life (okay, he was still a genius who, at the age of 20 years, had become a professor both in physic and mathematic, so he earned a little more than your common man).
That the woman he had loved didn't know but he was still a stunning young man, with a dashing figure (a 1m92 tall nicely toned body) and a noble face with semi-long black hair and striking blue eyes: one had a deep night blue tone and the other one was one light blue (a case of heterochromia iridis).
But still, she couldn't possibly, had she said, go out with a man who didn't play VRMMORPG. Which was … so childish. What did VRMMORPG had to do with love? Was she a moron? Like all the girls he had had a crush for so far? Because yes, this lame rejecting sentence was the story of Edward's life.
When he was younger he understood why, with the coming of the age of VRMMORPG, he who studied his ass off would be in marge with girls his age who followed the trend, but even now he was left unable to get a girlfriend.
As he watched the scene, Edward sensed a wave of fury rising in him. How come this fat-pig of a man who left him with all the work (as he played his games on work time) got both the merits and the girl? The only reason he was strong in the game to begin with was because of his game-time. Edward knew he was a warrior. He heard him boast about his fights times and times again. There was no way he, who could barely run 100 meters, would ever be able to do anything without the games skills. Anyone with that much gaming time would be a decent player. And that much would soon become meaningless. As Royal Road would soon be launched. The beta test would begin in two days, so in a few months, all of his hard work would mean nothing, as everyone would leave their respective game for it. Even Edward knew that.
If Edward, who didn't need working as he was since birth disgustingly rich and had done boxing since six, played Royal Road, he would wipe this fatass in an instant. And why wouldn't he? After all, he had years of anger to vent, and he was tired of being rejected due to not playing VRMMORPG (even if he thought that if one rejected him for such a reason, she might not be such a good one for him). And with him left, his fatass of a chief would have to work on his own if he didn't want to be fired (no, he wasn't petty enough to fire him himself ... at least for now).
Edward called his mother secretary (if you didn't understand yet, his father is dead, he doesn't have a mother complex, it's more the opposite, he tries to avoid her as much as possible as she is a little over protective) and organised both his demission and finding a beta-tester place, as Edward thought informations might be as crucial as experience in this kind of game.
Two days later, his game waited for him in his bedroom. As soon as the beta-test started, Edward launched the program and waited. He felt a sudden loss of sensation, lost momentarily his sight, and then, a window popped:
DO YOU WANT TO CONNECT TO ROYAL ROAD?
YES/NO
Edward sighed. What a stupid question. Why would he be in the game capsule if he didn't want to connect to Royal Road? Were the programmers morons?
"Yes, of course."
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
A girl's voice then said:
"The scan on your iris has determined that you are a beta tester. Do you want to create an account?"
"Once again, yes."
"Hello. Welcome to Royal Road. Please name your avatar."
"Volesprit."
Edward answered with a faint smile. His favorite character from 'The Black Company' – a book he had discovered in his teenagers years - Soulcatcher (or Volesprit in french) and it's main antagonist. An androgin character who hide her identity behind a mask. Out of respect for her, Edward chose to use her name for his avatar. (For those like me who love Soulcatcher and despise the Lady)
"Sex?"
"Male "
After all, Volesprit true appearance stayed for him the androgynous character whose sex was unknown (even if anyone could guess the truth way before she lost her mask).
"Appearance?"
"Mine."
"Race?"
"Human."
"City?"
James looked the list of names which appeared before him and found exactly what he wanted. If one wanted information, he would have to consult books. So the city with the biggest library. Which meant:
"Capital of the Salassi Kingdom, Migual."
Light suddenly filled his vision. Volesprit closed his eyes, blinded by it. He then felt a light wind. He opened his eyes. He was in the middle of a big paved street.
__________________________
Nice (France), two days before Royal Road beta test, in a bar:
The woman who had rejected Edward was drinking with her best friend:
“I'm so dejected. Why did this have to happen today?
- What's happening, Morganne?”
- You know that I accepted to start going out with my chief two days ago, right?”
- Yes. I remember you saying that he had been trying to put his dirty hands of you for over a year and that you had agreed only to make him regret doing so. You spoke of a plan who would give gynophobia.”
- Yes, that's exactly what I'm talking about. Me going out with that ape.”
- I understand that that could be depressing but tell me what happened to put you in such a state.”
- I have something like the worst luck ever. He kissed me.
- Urghh ...
- That's not the worst.
- How could that be worse than that … THING kissing you.
- I … I was confessed in the morning by … by HIM! And I had to reject HIM! HIM! BECAUSE OF THIS APE!!! AND HE ALSO SAW ME KISS HIM! I'D BETTER BE DEAD!”
Morganne began crying hysterically. Her best friend, whose name was Melodie (please remember that name) frowned. Him, that would be … EDWARD LANCE. She whistled, impressed. The man for whom Morganne had had a crush for the last two years, since she began working in her company.
She had showed her some photos she had (sneakily) taken with her mobile (she had refused to show him in the flesh: she didn't want any more competitions) and he was so … WOW! Not really her kind of guy, but still … wow! One would think he had just left a girl's fantasy. Or more precisely Morganne's fantasy.
Still, to Morganne, he looked too good for any girl in this little world. She considered that even the most confident girl would shy away before his cold – but so beautiful - eyes. That's why she said that no girl in her company had ever dared ask him out.
Thinking about that, Melodie (who was a little too insensitive) asked her best friend:
“And … How did you manage to reject him? What did you say? Something like: sorry, I'm too good for you? No, you would never be able to say such athing. You said that superman had no faults.
- I … I used something like the most stupid excuse ever … I said I could never go out with a man who didn't play VRMMORPG ...”
As soon as she finished the sentence, Morganne started weeping one again. And didn't stop when Melodie drove her home and lied her in her bed.
The following day, when Morganne went to work, she seeked him to explain him the truth. But he was nowhere to be seen.
And THAT was the reason why Edward had be rejected so often. He ALWAYS waited too long before confessing. And ALWAY had the WORST timing. That had nothing with him not playing VRMMORPG.
[I'm writing this second fanfic because:
1) I want to write about this caracter
2) I need things I thought for this fanfic to explain what happens in the kingdom both Taliesin and Volesprit are in.]