~Dreamsong Dragon Publishing~

[Dreamsong Dragon]

Alright, well...While I do have my own website where I post my stories, I know many people probably wouldn't want to register just to read. So...I'll show off little bits from random stories!

 

Currently I have the following projects to choose from:

 

Song of the Chosen - 15.5 chapters atm, over 349 pages printed off/sitting in a LARGE binder next to me. Set in a medieval world where multiple gods and godesses watch over their mortal children. When the servants of a 'fallen' god begin to cause chaos, a group of young men and women take it upon themselves to try and put an end to the chaos. Several twists, characters that I truly LOVE writing about...Four pairings, which yes, means 8 actual characters are focused on. This will be part of a trilogy, as book 1 is nearly complete (Chapter 20 = End/Intro to Book 2, etc)

 

Breath of Fire: Fate's Requiem - My BoF Fanfic, which follows the original three games story-wise. It is much more a throw-back to the original BoF storyline, with the Dark and Light Dragon clans being pitted against one another. It takes place roughly 1000 years after the events of the original Breath of Fire game, meaning the Dragon Clan(s) have had more than enough time to regain their numbers since the events of BoF3 (about 300 years prior to my story, as per time-line)

 

Wolfen Vale - One of my older projects that I'm not too keen on editing. It's short and sweet, though I did leave it off on a bit of a suspenseful note. Unlike my normal works, this one features humans as a secondary 'race'...The main race? Wolves, of course!

 

Flight of the Starwalkers - Like Wolfen Vale, humans are not the main race of this project. My niece read what I've finished for this one, and she's compared it to the Warriors series... Which oddly enough, I've never read. The main race is the Starwalker race, which is another name given to Unicorns. (Legend/Prelude is a better explanation of this.)

 

Echoes of Fate - Another old project of mine. Not quite a medieval setting, but definitely a fantasy setting. Humans and Demons are the two main races for this story, with the demons having mostly human-like features and the gift of magic.

 

Lumina si Umbra - aka Light in Shadow. My newest project, which I am working on along-side SotC and BoF. This is...A bit darker than my usual works, but like BoF and SotC, it features humans as the primary race. Like the others, it is set in a medieval-style world. It follows a young prince named Leon, his twin brother Kain, elder brother Evan, and their father as they encounter numerous obstacles on the path of absolute conquest. Obstacles, which in Leon's case, include the inability to use magic, and to discover the secret of a young girl that was given to him as a 'gift' by his father.

 

 

^-^; I'll wait for someone to choose one of the above mentioned stories before I post anything from them.

Edited January 26, 2013 by Dreamsong Dragon

[SkyScarlet20486]

Nice.

[Dreamsong Dragon]

^^; First clip will be shown when someone chooses one of the stories. Just mention whichever one interests you the most in a reply.

 

Also, be warned. Most of my 'better' stories (SotC, LsU, BoF) are ~25+ pages per chapter, so if I were to post one chapter...Enormous. Wall. Of. Text. (Especially in the case of BoF, which is 51 pages for one chapter, not including the 2-page prelude)

[Dreamsong Dragon]

Bump, and added a poll to make thing a bit easier. I'll add a scene from the most popular title this coming Saturday, and will post the next popular one a week afterwards. Once I've shown a scene from each, I'll go by the newer popularity numbers, so please vote for the title that interests you the most!

[Itchyboy]

Chose Echoes of Fate because I like the idea of demons in a more modern time. I also just like that it has demons...

[Dreamsong Dragon]

Two votes up so far... If there's a tie for first to be shown, I'll likely do smaller examples for both. *nod*

[Dreamsong Dragon]

Looks like SotC will be up first! Here goes, and yes, it's starting at the beginning.

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In a time long forgotten, the children of the gods lived in peace with one another. The gods themselves were at peace, and were pleased to see their children prospering in their young world. It had never occurred to any of the gods that anything was wrong in their realm, but all too quickly, things revealed themselves.

 

Demios, the God of Shadows, shattered the peace that had lasted for so long, sending the mortal races into chaos as he destroyed the home of the gods. Hailmir and Flaemir, the gods of Water and Fire had fallen before his power. The Goddesses of the Earth and Wind fleeing to the mortal realm to avoid being imprisoned as Radia, the Goddess of Life and Light, had been. Lunir and Solria, twin gods of the Moon and Sun, fled as well, hiding themselves in the celestial bodies for which they were named. As they fled, or fell to the Dark One's power, each of the gods dropped powerful relics to the mortal realm, hoping their children could use them to defend themselves. With their gods in chaos, the mortal races became lost in a war with the children of Demios, the Dark-Touched and the fiends they commanded nearly succeeding in destroying all other races.

 

Aesiria, the Goddess of the Wind who had fled to the mortal realm, was not about to stand by as her children were slaughtered. Discarding most of her power and her immortality, she gave her children the means to fight back, easily turning the tides on the Dark-Touched ones. Terria, Goddess of the Earth itself also assisted the children of the mortal realm, carving deep channels across the land and raising grand mountains to shield those that had fled to the northern lands. Even in his weakened state, Hailmir of the Water was able to aid the mortals, his tears falling to their realm and forming great rivers and seas to act as barriers. The southern lands may have become home to Demios’s Dark-Touched children, but the gods of Wind, Earth and Water had succeeded in protecting their children.

 

The ‘War of the Gods’ as it was called, seemed to have finally ended after near two-hundred years, but all too soon the Dark-Touched ones began to stir once more. Since the start of the war the children of the gods had scattered, building their grand capitals in what they considered to be places of honor to their gods and hiding away each Legacy that was left to them.

 

The kingdom of Taelros, built into the side of the mountains to honor Terria, was considered to be the strongest of the northern cities, and it is in this place that our story truly begins...

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter One (part one)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The roaring sound of horns could be heard throughout the city, the gates leading into the wilderness opening as a trio of knights rode through the town towards Taelros Castle. Many of the people living within the walls of the city were in the streets to greet the returning knights, others simply minding their shops and stalls or going about their daily routines. As the knights neared the castle gates, the leader of the group slowly slipped off his helm.

 

“Not bad for a pair of rookies, I’ll say that much for the two of you.” Said the old knight, not sounding all too impressed with his comrades. “..Not bad...But neither of you have what it takes to be anything more than a foot soldier as far as I’m concerned.”

 

“Hey!” Snapped one of the younger knights, quickly taking off her helm and hurling it at her elderly companion. With her helm gone, her dark blue hair was free to fall just above her shoulders as she mumbled to herself. She sighed as she looked to the other young knight, his reddish-brown hair tied back into a long ponytail. “Nathan, did you even hear what this old fossil just said?!”

 

“Old fossil?!” Yelled the elder knight, jerking on the reins and turning his horse to block her path. “How dare you, you little -”

 

“Nathan...HEY! Stop daydreaming and listen to me!” Yelled the female knight, ignoring the old knight and tilting her head as she looked over to her companion. She’d known him for many years now, the two having met when she started training to be a knight eight years earlier. “...Nathan?..”

 

Even before the shouting match had started between his fellow knights, Nathan had stopped his horse to stare over the wall surrounding the city. His homeland, Taelros, sat high in the side of a mountain, the view from the road to the castle was simply too breathtaking for him to ignore. He likely would have just kept staring, if his female companion hadn’t hit him in the shoulder. “Huh?...Oh...Sorry Kaira...Did you say something?”

 

Kaira gave him a dull look, letting out an annoyed sigh and managing to ride around their elder companion. “Oh no, of course I didn’t say anything...” She said sarcastically, turning her head enough to give the old knight a glare. “...You just wait old man...This little ‘foot soldier’ will outrank you sooner than you’d like to think!” With that, Kaira rode ahead through the castle gates, nearly knocking over one of the guards in the process.

 

“...Right...She’s still in a bad mood, sir?” Nathan asked, looking to the elder knight as he heard him sigh. “..Sir Ralen, is something wrong?” Seeing the old knight shake his head, Nathan simply nodded, following him up through the castle gates after Kaira.

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Cutting it off there for now, otherwise I'll end up posting the entire chapter all at once! The first chapter is about..I want to say 24 pages printed off, so yeah...Massive wall of text would be evil here.

Anyway...Comments are always welcome!

[Jake434]

This looks amazing already. I like that the prologue gives so much insight.

[beacker1160]

I like the story, I also like how you managed to create a lot of stories across different topics like humans, wolves, demons, gods, and the like. I also like how the first chapter really revealed a lot, like Taelros and Nathan and the 'old fossil' (haha).

 

I personally would never be able to write 300+ pages o.0 (Or maybe. Who knows? I'm trying lol)

 

My suggestions are for you to fluff up that first chapter. Add some villagers' emotions. Add what they were cheering. Add more character description. Even add the weather, if you want! Making a good chapter is important, but we want it to have length and volume as well. I have often come upon very good book concepts by writers who plainly know how to write creatively, but don't know how to write a book. Sometimes my friends give me little book drafts for me to read, that have a chapter for every paragraph. Remember that quality is good, but you should have an adequate amount of quantity.

 

I'm looking forward to more of that book!

[Dreamsong Dragon]

I like the story, I also like how you managed to create a lot of stories across different topics like humans, wolves, demons, gods, and the like. I also like how the first chapter really revealed a lot, like Taelros and Nathan and the 'old fossil' (haha).

 

I personally would never be able to write 300+ pages o.0 (Or maybe. Who knows? I'm trying lol)

 

My suggestions are for you to fluff up that first chapter. Add some villagers' emotions. Add what they were cheering. Add more character description. Even add the weather, if you want! Making a good chapter is important, but we want it to have length and volume as well. I have often come upon very good book concepts by writers who plainly know how to write creatively, but don't know how to write a book. Sometimes my friends give me little book drafts for me to read, that have a chapter for every paragraph. Remember that quality is good, but you should have an adequate amount of quantity.

 

I'm looking forward to more of that book!

x3 There's much more in the first chapter, believe me. What little I posted is just the first page, not counting the legend that leads in to it. SotC is currently at...*looks over and adds what progress has been made on chapter 16*....362 pages now. By the time book one is finished, I'll end up needing a bigger binder...This one holds around 400 pages. (Seriously, here's a comparison of my BoF:FR binder and my SotC binder. Covers/Sizes Page Comparison BoF's first chapter has 51 pages, and still needs to be printed off. The few pages that are there are the legend, to tie the story in with the original three BoF games as I'd planned to do.)

 

Since SotC is even further in the lead, I'll likely add a larger chunk of chapter one for my next post. I'm glad people are actually taking an interest here, also.

[beacker1160]

x3 There's much more in the first chapter, believe me. What little I posted is just the first page, not counting the legend that leads in to it. SotC is currently at...*looks over and adds what progress has been made on chapter 16*....362 pages now. By the time book one is finished, I'll end up needing a bigger binder...This one holds around 400 pages. (Seriously, here's a comparison of my BoF:FR binder and my SotC binder. Covers/Sizes Page Comparison BoF's first chapter has 51 pages, and still needs to be printed off. The few pages that are there are the legend, to tie the story in with the original three BoF games as I'd planned to do.)

 

Since SotC is even further in the lead, I'll likely add a larger chunk of chapter one for my next post. I'm glad people are actually taking an interest here, also.

Yep, you're lucky. When I first started my fanfic thread, it had very little attention (cause of all the art threads o.0) and often fell back to 3rd page. We writers are a lesser part of this subforum, but we're still important.

 

Ah, forgive me for not realizing it was only the first page that's what happens when I'm dead tired and my eye cells go on strike.

 

BTW, how long did it take you to write those 362 pages? I'm kind of curious, because I'm writing something similar to a book too, and I plan for it to be around 330 - 400 pages.

Edited January 5, 2013 by beacker1160

[Dreamsong Dragon]

Well, funny thing about that...The first two chapters I wrote about three years ago, around the same time when I stopped writing for Echoes and WV. At the time, I was also still playing WoW, and my attention became focused on that... I think it was around...August when I decided to start writing again? Chapters 3 through 8 were done in about two or three days each, with breaks between chapters. 9 and 10 were knocked out in two days, 11 through 15 went a bit slower, about a week each, even though they flow pretty seemlessly into each other... I've been working on 16 for..About two weeks, as I've had a minor case of writer's block.

 

Since the writer's block has let up, I've even skipped ahead to write the intro/first half of chapter one for the second book in the SotC series. *nod* There'll likely be just two books, three if I think up something to continue off of for book two's ending. Book two already has 15 pages, sitting in a folder that sits in a pocket in the back of the SotC binder, and those were not counted for the page total.

 

On the reverse side of the slow writing...BoF was only started recently, LsU as well. BoF's 51 pages (53 including intro/legend) were knocked out in two days flat, while LsU's 23 pages are still being added to. When I'm inspired to write, pages fly by pretty fast.

Edited January 6, 2013 by Dreamsong Dragon

[Dreamsong Dragon]

It's another Friday~ Rather than bounce from story to story, I decided to stick with showing them one at a time here. Remember, I warned about wall-text So yeah.

Here's the next part for SotC!

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After Nathan and Kaira had changed out of their armor and rested for about an hour, they were lead through the marble halls of the castle to see the king and his council. Among the members of the council were some of the king’s personal guards, as well as the High Commander and the kingdom’s Master Oracle. The youngknights themselves weren’t the only ones to be summoned by the council, several other groups of young knights and some students of magic had been summoned as well. Soon, one of the king’s guards stood up, walking to the center of the large room and looking over all of the young knights and magi.

 

“Are all squad members present and accounted for?” A gruff looking guard said as he looked around at the elder knights and oracles, the leaders of each individual group and the teachers of their respective arts. Spotting one of the oracles with only a single student, he sighed. “Arkis, where is the boy?”

 

“If I knew, I’d be dragging him here by the ear...That boy, always wandering off...When I was his age, I-”

 

“We don’t have time to wait around for him, so for the sake of everyone else, I’m afraid he’ll be failing his-”

 

Before the guard could continue, one of the doors to the hall opened, a young sage with blonde hair bowing before running to stand next to the old sage. “So sorry, I haven’t missed anything too important, have I Master Arkis?”

 

“Jenais Moruel, you’re late. Don’t let it happen again..” Said the guard, being sure that everyone in the room could hear him. “Now then..Your teachers have already given their reports to the council, giving us a better idea of your capabilities. All of you were required to take a test outside of the city...The results of this test, along with the reports from past training exercises, will decide whether or not you remain at the entry levels of your studies. Some of you may be sent home, others may be quite surprised at what ranks you are given. We will start with our Sage students.”

 

“Hey, Nathan.” Kaira whispered, not caring enough to pay attention as the young sages were sorted out. “What do you think your old man will say if you’re sent home, eh?”

 

Nathan simply shrugged, smiling a bit as he listened to the guard call another sage student. “...Jean’s going to pass...Watch.”

 

“Oh like hell he will, he’s missed over half of his classes, and he was late to boot!” Kaira laughed, being sure to keep herself quiet as she smirked and continued talking. “If he even gets to stay, it’ll be a miracle.”

 

“Jenais Moruel....” Looking over his scroll, the guard raised an eyebrow, finally looking over to the young sage. “Congratulations...You’re the youngest to qualify as a Star-Seer in years..Needless to say, you pass...Don’t see how it’s possible.”

 

Jean grinned, looking over to Nathan and Kaira and giving them a thumbs up. Kaira’s jaw had dropped as she looked between the guard and Jean, and he couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at her. His master quickly caught his attention, pointing towards a seat near the High Oracle for him to sit at. “It’s the natural choice, I’ll be sure not to disappoint anyone.”

 

“Why...How...That...Ugh!” Kaira pouted, crossing her arms and turning away as Nathan chuckled. “How can they allow someone so lazy and childish to become a Star-Seer!?”

 

“We allow it, because he has the talent for it...Miss Highroad.” Chimed Master Arkis, the old sage smiling as he took a seat near the rest of the magi students. “Now, I believe it’s time for the young knights to hear their evaluations..Isn’t it Mihiel?”

 

Hearing the High Commander’s name, Kaira cowered a little. High Commander Mihiel was one of the strongest warriors of the Taelros kingdom, and he wasn’t one to put up with much nonsense. As he moved to the center of the room, all of the young knights quickly stood at attention and saluted him, the obviously nervous Kaira and calm Nathan included.

 

“At ease.” Mihiel barked, narrowing his eyes as he looked over the young knights. Only ten had made it through the tests he had set up, the rest not being allowed to join the evaluation until the following year. “I can’t say that I’m disappointed..However, don’t think that this makes any of you the best in the realm. You’ve passed a few minor tests, this only proves you have talent.”

 

“Mihiel. I would ask you not to intimidate our young knights.” Said a kind old voice, King Fahl himself standing and moving to stand behind the High Commander. “Each and every one of you has done very well. Regardless of what the council says, know that I am proud of you all. Proud to know that you wish to serve this kingdom, and more importantly our people.”

 

Mihiel nodded, bowing to his king before looking back at the young knights. “..If I call your name, step forward. If I do not call your name, then you shall return home. You won’t fail, but you will remain at your current ranks.” Grinning a little, Mihiel closed his eyes, not even bothering to look at the scroll held in his hand. “..Balke, Roland... McNeill, Christopher...Highroad, Kaira...Karst, Nathan. You four, step forward..The rest of you may leave.”

 

“You’ve got to be joking..” Whispered one of the other young knights, the group of them all mumbling as they left the room. A few likely didn’t care if they were heard or not, one even stopping in the doorway to look at the council members. “The commander's brat and the smith's little urchin are supposed to outrank us?..This is nothing but a joke.”

 

“...What..Did Caldris just call me..?” Kaira’s eye twitched a little at the apparent insult, the young knight turning and starting to speak again, but quickly quieting herself as Mihiel placed a hand on her shoulder. “H-High Commander! I...I’m sorry, I just-”

 

“Settle down.” was all Mihiel said, looking over the four remaining knights. He was quiet for a few long moments, looking to King Fahl and bowing his head. In return the king once more walked over, this time walking right up to the young knights and smiling. “His majesty, King Fahl, will now tell you what the council has decided.”

 

“Thank you, my old friend..” said King Fahl, looking between the four knights that now knelt in front of him. “Christopher, Roland. The council feels that the two of you would be the correct choices...To join our brilliant tactical officers in the ranks of the Stone Guard. Both of you have displayed remarkable potential, and the council would have you begin your studies at Fort Rorim within the next month.”

 

Nathan couldn’t help but smile as he looked over to his classmates, both of which were trying to keep themselves calm and respectful in front of the king. When one of them looked over to him, he gave a small nod before hearing Kaira give a sigh of protest.

 

King Fahl had also heard the young woman, simply smiling as he walked over to stand in front of her. “Miss Highroad. Kaira...Not many women even attempt to train as a knight of Taelros..Your very presence here only proves how determined you are to do something important for your people.” Reaching out, he placed his hands on her shoulders, still smiling as she looked up at him in awe.

 

“The council had wished for you to be added to the ranks of our advance guards...However, I see in you the spirit and raw determination that many of our great commanders have shown in the past. This is why, I have decided to keep you here at the castle. Kaira Highroad, your king has made the decision to promote you to the rank of Lieutenant. You will continue your training, under the watchful eye of High Commander Mihiel. I look forward to seeing you as one of our commanders one day.”

 

For once Kaira was speechless, her jaw hanging open a little as the king walked back to the High Commander. Carefully, Nathan reached over and nudged her chin up. “Don’t go embarrassing yourself, Lieutenant.”

 

“I do believe that is all...Or...” King Fahl hesitated, looking around the room with a small grin. “Lieutenant Highroad, have I forgotten anything?"

 

“Y-Yes your highness!..Erm..t-There’s still Na-..i-I mean”

 

“Ahh yes..Young master Karst..Nathan, would you be kind enough to stand?” said King Fahl, turning back around and smiling at the both of them. “Lieutenant Highroad, thank you for reminding me. Just one thing though..Don’t be afraid to be yourself in my presence, there is no need to squeak like a mouse dear.” A few members of the council chuckled at the king’s words, Kaira’s face turning a pale shade of pink.

 

Nathan was already standing before the king, feeling the eyes of commander Karst on him almost as soon as his name had been called. Having the eyes of the king and council on him didn’t seem to affect him at all, but knowing that his father was there judging him proved to be just a little unnerving. Taking a quick breath he looked over to where the rest of the council was, seeing his father and giving him a small nod before looking at his king.

 

“Now then...Nathan...The members of the council, myself included, thought long and hard on what to do with you.” Looking back to the council for a moment, King Fahl closed his eyes and nodded to himself. “You have the makings of not only an exceptional knight, but of a great sage as well..”

 

King Fahl was silent for a moment, finally letting out a small sigh. “However, we were unable to choose what would be best for you...”

 

Hearing the king’s words confused Nathan a little, tilting his head down he closed his eyes to think of what was just said. If the council thought so highly of him, why couldn’t they make up their minds? Letting out a small sigh, he opened his eyes to look at the king.

 

“My boy, don’t look so troubled...I am sure that in time, both you and the council will know where you-” Before King Fahl could finish speaking, the sound of thunder and horns flooded the halls of the castle, one of the doors bursting open as a group of guards ran into the conference room.

 

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That'll be all for this update. Comments are always appreciated!

[Jake434]

Oh my gosh! That was an awesome part and you left it with a lot of suspense. Keep posting!

[Dreamsong Dragon]

I would have posted yesterday and the friday before that, but I got a bit distracted with something else. Continuing!

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“Your majesty! An explosion, the fire is spreading this way!” shouted one of the guards, the king’s own personal guards quickly surrounding him and the rest of the council. One of them reached out, grabbing Nathan by the arm and dragging him towards a small door. “Take the king to his chambers, there should be others there guarding it for him! Go now!”

 

“What about the rest of us?!” Kaira yelled, literally being picked up and flung over High Commander Mihiel’s shoulder. “PUT ME DOWN!!!”

 

“Be quiet!” Mihiel snapped, giving the rest of the council a glare and motioning towards another door. “The rest of you, head for the Library. Master Arkis and myself will remain with the king. Commanders, should you see anyone that doesn’t belong, you know what must be done. Now, go!” Once the rest of the council was out of sight Mihiel followed behind the king and his guards, Kaira still in a panic and flailing as he carried her.

 

It was only a matter of minutes before the king’s guards reached the royal chambers, Nathan being right behind them. Something caught his eye as they rounded the corner before the door into King Fahl’s chambers, a small patch of the floor had been marked with a burning rune. Realizing what it meant, he tried to call the guards away from the doors. “Stop! Don’t open them!”

 

Unfortunately for the first two guards, Nathan’s warning had come all too late. As the doors were thrown open a blast of flame came shooting out, a single dark-armored figure dropped to the ground in front of them, while a flaming scythe tore through their armor and easily dispatched both of the guards. Nathan started to charge at the figure, being abruptly shoved aside and finding himself being made to catch Kaira as Mihiel drew his blade.

 

Staring down his opponent, Mihiel grinned. Whoever this figure was had moved further back into the king’s chambers, leaving Mihiel to stand at the only exit of the room. “Not a very smart one, are you...That weapon of yours....You would think one of the Dark-Touched would know better than to be caught like this.” he laughed, pointing his blade at the intruder and closing his eyes. “..How many of you are here, and why?...Answer me, and I might go easy on you.”

 

“What makes you think there are more here..” said the intruder, her voice catching the guards and Mihiel a little off-guard. She took a moment to tug her hood away, a red mask still covering her mouth as she stared at Mihiel. Grey tinted skin, spiked silver hair and crimson irises, he had been right in calling her a Dark-Touched at the least. “...My only business..Is with King Fahl. Stay out of my way, or die where you stand.”

 

“Die where I stand...I think not!” Mihiel shouted, charging in and taking a swing at the woman. He felt the blade connect, but when he was able to look there was no one in sight. Some of the guards gasped, one of them yelling to him and causing him to turn around. As he did he saw a flicker of light from over his shoulder, finding himself being hurdled across the room and crashing into a wall.

 

Seeing the High Commander being beaten so easily, the rest of the guards panicked, running back down the halls and abandoning their king. The few that were left along with him tried to keep their king behind them, but Fahl gently moved them aside to stand before the attacker. “What is it that you want?”

 

“You know the answer to that already...Such a pity that the last attempt at your life failed...What has it been, fourteen years since then?”

 

“..Yes..Fourteen years since the Dark One sent fourth his assassins to kill me…And the rest of this city’s people...Fourteen years since they failed.” King Fahl sighed, looking over his shoulder and motioning for Arkis to keep the others back. “...Do what you must, but the rest of my people are to remain unharmed.”

 

“Tch...Such a noble answer...” said the woman, raising her scythe behind her as she closed her eyes. As soon as she had opened her eyes again, she leapt towards the old king, making a downwards sweep with her scythe. Rather than feeling it connect with skin and bone she felt it strike metal, seeing a young knight struggling to keep his shield up and blocking her attack. She hadn’t even seen him enter the room, almost growling as she jumped back.

 

“...Another one....Your knights just don’t listen well, do they?” Before the woman could say another word Nathan charged at her, intent on protecting those behind him with his life.

 

Mihiel had finally woken up with the sound of metal crashing upon metal, his head spinning as he tried to locate the cause of the sounds. Seeing Nathan locked in battle with the assassin, he quickly stumbled to his feet to aid the young knight. He didn’t get very far though, Kaira and Arkis grabbing him and dragging him out of the room with the king to find a safe place.

 

Realizing the king had escaped, and hearing the trumpets of the guards getting louder and closer, the assassin smirked beneath her mask. “Aww...Play time is over for now.” With that, she easily knocked Nathan back, crossing her arms over her head and shouting some strange word as a wave of black fire shot out across the room.

 

Seeing the flames hurdling towards him, Nathan drove his sword into the floor, which shot up like the earth itself to form a barrier around him. It was one of the few spells he had mastered when he was training, and he hoped it would be strong enough to shield him from the flames. He could hear the flames vanish, hearing a window break as his earthen shield fell around him. As the guards ran into the room, Nathan was able to stand and look around. “She’s gone...”

 

It was only then that something caught Nathan’s eye, one of the few portraits in the king’s chambers which was starting to burn. In the portrait was a beautiful young woman sitting in a chair, a small child sleeping in her lap and another standing next to her. King Fahl was behind her, as well as the late queen and another young man. As he turned to ask one of the guards he saw his father standing behind him, the commander also looking at the portrait. “Commander Karst..That assassin, she fled sir.”

 

“I know that, boy.” snapped the commander, looking to his son and scowling before looking back to the portrait. “Go to the throne room...King Fahl wises to speak with you.”

 

“..Yes, sir.” Nathan nodded, bowing his head and hurrying out of the room. He could always tell when his father was upset, but this time he seemed to be almost sad when he spoke. Not wanting to keep the king waiting, he quickly made his way to the throne room. The face of the young woman in the portrait was still fresh in his mind, but as he reached the throne room he quickly cleared his thoughts.

 

Kaira and Jean were both standing outside of the room, one waving at Nathan as the other just glared at him. “Had to go and make yourself look like a hero, didn’t you!” Kaira snapped, huffing and turning away as Nathan shrugged. “Idiot...That assassin could have killed you, and the rest of us!”

 

“Oh come on Kai..Really, Nathan was just trying to protect us. There’s no way he would have let that woman kill anyone.” Jean said, sounding just as casual as he always did. “You’re only mad because you didn’t decide to attack first.”

 

“That’s beside the point!” Kaira snapped, her eye twitching a little as she glared at the always smiling Jean. “You didn’t even do anything to help, admit it!”

 

“Oh, but I did...” Jean said, still smiling as he closed his eyes. “You see...I used an illusion spell to hide Nathan from sight until he blocked that woman’s attack.”

 

“..Wha..When did you have time to cast that!?”

 

“When King Fahl was talking to that woman.” Jean said, nodding sagely.

 

One of the guards posted at the door sighed, looking over at the youngsters and shaking his head. “..Bicker amongst yourselves later...The king wishes to see the three of you now.”

 

“Oh right..I nearly forgot.” said Jean, shrugging and giving a mock bow to his female companion. “You go first, miss mouse.”

 

“..I swear I’ll kill you one of these days Jean.” Kaira said, giving him a dull look as she proceeded into the throne room, Nathan and Jean following close behind her.

 

Nathan had never seen the inside of the throne room before, great pillars of silver lining the walkway to the throne. Looking to the throne, Nathan was a little surprised to King Fahl standing and looking at one of the many portraits that lined the walls. As he looked up at the portrait he realized it was one of the same young woman, this time standing and holding one of the small children in her arms as the other stood beside her.

 

“King Fahl, sir...You wished to see us?” Kaira asked, being the first to kneel as she addressed the king, and being sure to drag the others down with her.

 

“The three of you, have done more than I could have hoped for today..” said King Fahl, sounding a little less cheerful as he spoke. “Lieutenant Kaira, Master Jenais..You two may return to your homes for the night..There is..Something I must discuss with Nathan.”

 

“But your majesty, what about that assassin?” Kaira protested, standing and taking a step forward. “What if that crazy woman comes back?”

 

“She won’t.” said an elderly old woman, the High Oracle stepping out from behind a pillar. “Be at ease, young lieutenant...We have wards placed around the palace to keep the Dark-Touched at bay. I have some of my own followers out in the city now, to place more wards for the defense of our people. If you want to help, then listen to your king.”

 

“See Kai, there’s nothing for you to worry about.” said Jean, placing a hand on her shoulder and tugging her back. “Besides, didn’t you want to make sure Mihiel was alright?”

 

In typical Kaira fashion, the lieutenant let out a squeak. “I forgot! Jean! Come on!”

 

“Eheh..We’ll catch up with you later Nathan.” Jean said, literally being dragged away as Kai ran out of the room.

 

With the others out of the room Nathan let out a sigh, tilting his head as all but two of the guards left the room as well. He saw the High Oracle standing next to King Fahl, the old woman frowning as she looked back at him. “Nathan, is it?...Come here. There is much to discuss.” At the old woman’s words, Nathan nodded and stood up, walking up beside the king and taking another look at the portrait.

 

King Fahl let out a deep sigh, closing his eyes as he finally spoke. “..Were you injured, Nathan?”

 

“No, your majesty..I..” Nathan bit his lip, hanging his head. “..I apologize, I defied your orders for the rest of us to stay back..But I couldn’t just stand by and let that assassin-”

 

“Our king isn’t concerned with that, Nathan." the oracle interrupted, pausing a moment before continuing. "What troubles him, is the past.”

 

Looking over his shoulder, Nathan saw the oracle looking at him. Her words seemed to sadden the old king, and they only served to make Nathan curious.

 

“..The past..The attack that assassin mentioned, the one fourteen years ago?”

 

“The very same.” King Fahl said, finally opening his eyes and turning to look at Nathan. “When the Dark One’s assassins failed to find me, they turned their attention to the rest of the palace, and to the city...We lost many innocent people to those wretched beasts, including my beloved daughter and her husband.”

 

“The young woman in the paintings?” Nathan asked, seeing the king frown and look back towards the portrait. “..Forgive me, majesty..I didn’t know.”

 

“My daughter, Raquel...Those beasts destroyed her...As for her children..Her daughter, Maria, was carried off by one of the creatures.” Letting out another sigh the old king moved to sit in his throne, keeping his eyes closed as he spoke. “....Her son, however..Managed to escape, and had been kept hidden away..Safe from prying eyes up until this very day.”

 

“Her son? If he escaped, then where is he? That assassin, was she here for him?” Nathan had never been one to ask this many questions, it was as if someone else were asking, someone who longed for an answer.

 

Before the king could speak, the High Oracle walked between them, crossing her arms behind her back and tilting her head up. “Lady Raquel’s son, is fine..He’s grown into quite the young man. You see, we’ve always known where he was, the king and myself. Not wishing for the Dark One’s forces to come after him, we spread the rumor that the boy had been killed in the attacks...Truthfully, he was taken in by one of the finest knights in Taelros.”

 

“...What are you saying?”

 

“I’m simply saying, that you know the name of our young prince.” said the old woman, nodding once and staring at him. “The name of the heir to all of Taelros...It’s one you know quite well. A person you know quite well indeed.”

 

Nathan’s stomach was beginning to turn, as he slowly started to understand what the High Oracle meant. For the last fourteen years, he had been raised by Commander Karst, but anything beyond that point he simply couldn’t remember. Realization quickly set in, and he found himself stumbling to his knees.

 

An eerie silence filled the room, a silence which was only broken by the words of the High Oracle. “...Welcome home, young prince.”

 

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First half of chapter one down, second half still to be shown. I wonder how Nathan's friends will react to finding out about his heritage.

[Dreamsong Dragon]

x.x Been VERY distracted this last week, had a family member in the hospital. Might be a bit late, but here's last friday's update!

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A week had passed since the assault on Taelros Castle, the people of the city still gossiping on what had happened. Nathan himself had been kept away in one of the rooms at the castle, rumors spreading throughout the castle that he had something to do with the attempt on the king’s life. He hadn’t been the only one detained in the castle though, Jean and Kaira being given their own rooms to stay in as well as free roam of the castle. However, neither one of them was allowed to even see their friend.

 

“This is absolutely ridiculous!” Kaira roared, glaring at the soldiers down the hall that were guarding the door to Nathan’s room. “How long to they plan on keeping him locked in there?!”

 

Jean sighed a little, shaking his head. “..Listen, Kai...I’m sure the king has good reason to keep Nathan in there..Just settle down..Please?”

 

“..Please?...PLEASE?!” Kaira yelled, spinning around and not-so gently grabbing the collar of Jean’s robe. “Nathan’s in that room, locked up, with SOLDIERS guarding the door..And you want me to settle down?!”

 

“That would be the most intelligent thing to do, Lieutenant.”

 

“....” Kaira cowered a little, looking over her shoulder to see the High Commander and quickly letting go of her friend. “g-Greetings h-High Commander Mihiel...I..Well...”

 

“King Fahl is to speak to his people later today...So I have a job for you and your friend here.”

 

“A job for us?” Jean asked, fixing his robes and giving Kaira a bit of a glare.

 

“Yes...I need you two to go into town for a few things. Clothes mainly, ones suitable for attending a celebration dinner at the palace.” Mihiel said, nodding to himself. “As well as a few minor things at the armory. Now, I suggest you two get going...You’ll need to be back here within the next few hours.”

 

“But-” Kai started to speak sighing a bit as Mihiel simply turned away and walked pass the guards into Nathan’s room. “...This..Is ridiculous....Come on Jean...Let’s just get this over with..”

 

Mihiel waited in the doorway until the young knight and her friend had disappeared from sight, sending the guards away as he closed the door behind him. He chuckled a little, looking around to see Nathan staring out a window that overlooked the town. “..Your friends are quite the pair...You’ll see them later today.” When Nathan didn’t respond to him Mihiel tilted his head, grabbing a nearby chair and taking a seat by him. “So...What’s on your mind, highness?”

 

“...Why is it everyone else knows about who I am, but I didn’t know until recently?” Nathan asked, frowning just a little as he continued looking out the window.

 

“Not everyone knows..Just those that needed to know.”

 

“If that’s the case, how is it no one else in the town figured it out?”

 

“Well..It’s likely not my place to say anything about that..” Mihiel mumbled, closing his eyes for a moment and thinking. “...But, since no one else is going to tell you...Where should I begin..The attacks fourteen years ago, perhaps?”

 

Nathan nodded, finally looking away from the window and focusing intently on Mihiel.

 

“..Fine then..I’m sure you’ve heard about the attacks from King Fahl..A band of Darklings came to Taelros, their only purpose was to end the king’s life.” Mihiel frowned a little, keeping his eyes closed as he spoke. “ We’d been warned about this, so we hid King Fahl and his family beneath the city..Lady Raquel however...Refused to hide knowing her people could be hurt.”

 

“She left this hiding place?..Why?”

 

“Your mother wasn’t just a princess, highness..Lady Raquel was a sage of uncanny power. She thought she could drive the Darklings out of the city and seal it away in stone..Almost succeeded too, then one of her servants came after her with you and your sister. What we thought had been a servant, anyways. Turns out one of the Dark-Touched had been with us the entire time, using some kind of illusion spell so we wouldn’t notice. That woman destroyed Lady Raquel..Nearly killed you too..Then it just ran off with little Maria.”

 

Nathan hung his head a little, nodding once. “..I don’t remember any of it..”

 

“It’s to be expected, highness...Now, you’re likely wondering what this all had to do with us hiding you from the people...We lost many good people in those attacks, not just Lady Raquel...Commander Karst lost his wife and son as well, looked fairly similar to you.”

 

Nathan was almost at a loss for words, simply shaking his head. “That’s...Horrible.”

 

“Indeed.” Mihiel sighed, looking to the ceiling. “Poor man nearly lost it when he found them. By that time, we’d found you huddled under Lady Raquel’s remains. King Fahl had heard about Karst’s loss..And frankly, we were afraid to say anything to the man.”

 

Sighing again, Mihiel crossed his arms and looked back to Nathan. “But..Rather than letting him drown himself in sorrow, we took you to him. Was like he’d seen a ghost, didn’t even hesitate to say he’d raise you. No one in the city thought anything about it, my guess is they thought you really were his son.”

 

“..Why wouldn’t he tell me something like this?”

 

“You’d have to see it from his point of view...If you were Karst, would you want to tell your son all of this, and then give him up?” said Mihiel, looking back at the door for a moment. “Saddest part about this if you think about it..Now that you know the truth, Karst’s right back where he was fourteen years ago.”

 

Nathan sighed a little, closing his eyes and managing a small smile. “No, he’s not. He’s still the same man who raised me, the only one I’ll ever call my father. Nothing will ever change that..And nothing anyone else can say is going to affect how I see him.”

 

“..Heh...He’s raised you well then. I’d expect to hear nothing less from Karst’s boy.” Mihiel chuckled, finally standing and heading over to the door. “You’d best start getting ready highness...Going to be a lot of fuss about you soon.”

 

“..Thank you, Mihiel.” said Nathan, slowly standing as well and looking at a pile of neatly folded clothes someone had brought in earlier. “..I guess...I’ll see everyone else soon.”

 

A while later the people of Taelros had gathered in the courtyard, nobles and commoners alike gossiping amongst themselves as to what the king would be speaking to them about. Many thought he would tell them what had happened the week before, others wondered if there would be a proclamation of war, since more and more Darklings had been seen in the lands to the south of the kingdom’s borders.

 

Finally a few guards and advisors could be seen on the balcony above, King

Fahl slowly walking out to greet his people. As the crowd cheered at their kind ruler, he simply smiled and began to tell them what had happened. Not being interested in something they’d already seen first hand, Kaira and Jean stood off to the side of the great crown to talk amongst themselves.

 

“You’re sure you didn’t see him out here?” Kai asked, crossing her arms and looking over the crowd. “..Jean...you don’t think they really blame Nathan for all this, do you?”

 

“No, I don’t..That’s just you worrying about your sweetheart.” said Jean, snickering a little as Kai gave him a glare.

 

“He is -not- my sweetheart.”

 

“Right..That’s so cute Kai.” Jean chuckled, tilting his head as he spotted Commander Karst up on the balcony behind the king.“..Hmm..”

 

“..What?” asked Kai, following her friend’s gaze and looking up at Commander Karst. “..He looks...Sad for once...Why?”

 

“You’ll see soon enough.” Mihiel said, grinning a little as he walked up behind the pair. “..Pay attention.” Nodding to Mihiel, the two nodded and looked back up to the balcony. Seeing their friend step closer to the king, the two hushed themselves to listen.

 

“And so..”King Fahl started, motioning for Nathan to step forward, “..I am now honored to present to you all the young man who has saved your king. Honored to present to you...Your Prince.”

 

Jean and Kaira were shocked, Kai being the only one able to speak as she stared up at Nathan. “..n-Nathan?...Our...Prince?”

 

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Saving more of the second half of chapter one for later this week!