Excalion
folder
Fantasy & Science Fiction › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
17
Views:
1,713
Reviews:
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Currently Reading:
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Category:
Fantasy & Science Fiction › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
17
Views:
1,713
Reviews:
6
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
No Silver Lining: Chapter Two -- Part Three
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Truth be told, I actually had this section done the same time as Part Two, but I felt I'd be rushing this story too quickly to AFF.Net, and I don't want that. I want all of my readers, my faithful friends here on the site, to take in and digest what is currently going on in Excalion. I want them to enjoy it as much as I did writing it and creating it. Anyway, enough of my rambling and enjoy! Oh, and as always, reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated!
Excalion
Chapter Two: No Silver Lining
=[ Part Three ]=
This is wrong, Jacen thought to himself as he closed his eyes, cringing as he snapped the neck of the unwary sentry.
“This is perfect,” one female said. He looked to his right and spotted one of his younger sisters, the oldest girl out of all his siblings. “These Overon pigs must be getting fat and soft if they didn’t even realize you were coming, Jacen.”
“If it weren’t for me, we wouldn’t have had the drop on them as easily as we did,” he scoffed in a low voice as two of his younger brothers dragged one dead Overon patrolman into the bushes. “You’re getting too overconfident and obstinate, Mei.”
“And you’re getting too soft and lightheaded, Brother,” she spat back. “How can you be so content living in the shadows of that bitch and her family?”
He answered her question with a fierce slap across the face, knocking her to the ground. “An Overon may be inferior to your mind, Mei, but watch your language. If she was able to defeat me, think of how easily she would be able to defeat you.”
Jacen’s sister growled as she heard the creaking of wheels as well as the snorting of horses. She looked down the path. “Hide!” she hissed. “Someone’s coming!”
As his sister ducked into the brush, a plot formed in his mind. Looking up into the forest canopy of Mara’s Grove, he quickly waved away the three assassins he saw hiding there. He looked down the dirt road to see a convoy of long, horse-drawn carriages moving quickly towards him.
“Who goes there?” he called out.
“What are you doing?” Mei hissed. “We’ll get found out!”
He didn’t answer as he gently kicked his sister away. “Who goes there?” he repeated.
The driver of the lead carriage stopped before him, the young woman beside him leveling a crossbow at Jacen’s heart. “I am Jaden, Invincible Swordsman of the Barawani Traveling Fair. Who are you?”
Jacen put his hands to his hips. “Jacen, of the house of Omicronus.” He tilted his head questioningly at Jaden. “You seem awfully determined to get to Overon. And the woman behind you seems awfully determined to shoot that bolt into my chest.”
“Mara’s Grove is unnaturally quiet, Omicronus. My family does not want to stay any longer in these woods than is absolutely necessary.”
“I have some of my men doing stealth training here,” he answered. “There is the explanation for the silence of the wood, and the answer to your unease.”
“Somehow I doubt that.”
“What?” Jacen huffed haughtily. “My House does not need to steal from petty Traveling Fairs.”
The young woman behind Jaden stood and readied her crossbow. “One more arrogant word out of you, Omicronus, and I’ll feed your head to the horses!”
Jacen raised his hands in a mock attempt to placate the woman. “Easy, young woman. I’m not here to shed blood. If I did, the twenty warriors with me, hiding up in the trees and bushes around us, I might add, would have cut you down by now.”
“I know you’re not here to mince words, Jacen of Omicronus,” Jaden said. “Why did you stop me?”
“I simply wanted to know who was passing through Mara’s Grove while I was training some of my soldiers. I didn’t want any of my people to be mistaken for highwaymen, nor did I want to needlessly spill blood, especially one from an outer Greater Kingdom.”
Jaden narrowed his eyes. “Why are you training your men, Jacen? The Kingdoms are at peace.”
“Can a powerful family not dispatch their troops within their territory merely to hone the skills that have not been used since the Hydra War?”
“Still…”
Jacen cut him off. “Look, Invincible Swordsman, I must get back to training the whelps under my command.” He took a sheathed short sword from his belt and tossed it towards Jaden. “Take this as a gesture of my goodwill. As long as I am alive, no one from my house will harm you.”
Jaden caught the sword at the scabbard. “What proof do I have that this will grant me amnesty from your people?”
“Just above the cross-guard on the blade is my private emblem,” Jacen replied. Jaden unsheathed the sword partway, revealing an etched capital ‘O’ with a larger capital ‘I’ through it. Jacen bowed at the hip. “To you, Jaden, Invincible Swordsman of the Barawani Traveling Fair, I present my white flag.”
Jaden sheathed the short sword again and nodded doubtfully. “Very well. I have your word that no harm will come from your family to mine.”
Jacen nodded solemnly. “On my blood as a warrior and as an Omicronus.” He grinned. “Although I would like my weapon returned once your Traveling Fair leaves Overon.”
* * * * *
“This is a farce!” Valos shouted. “This is a complete lie!”
Wynn nodded. “I understand, Your Majesty, but the Forest Sanctum has absolutely nothing to gain from this. Someone from House Overon must be allowed to go to the Forest Sanctum to confirm what the message says!”
“The missive is a fabrication,” Valos said. “I will not allow anyone of my House to leave Overon.”
“Father, you have to listen to reason!” Shanavale shouted. “There was an assassination attempt on Kai’s father’s life! Someone from our family!”
“You very well know, Shanavale, that our family does not resort to treacherous tactics such as assassinations,” her father returned. “In any event, the assassins have been killed by Kai’s people. There is no further need to pursue the matter until Kai or someone else from the Forest Sanctum comes to us and asks for some form of repayment, if they choose to come and ask.”
“Father, you can’t do this! If you don’t at least try to talk with them, they could take that as a breaking of our union! We can’t just sit here and not explain ourselves to Kai’s people!”
“Enough, Shanavale!” Valos’ voice thundered. “I will hear nothing more of this matter. I will not permit you, Wynn, or anyone in our family outside the city limits. No one from the Forest Sanctum is permitted.”
“What about the Kingdom of Lightning Peaks?”
Shanavale’s father turned to Wynn. “What about them?”
“What if Naomi decides to come back to inform us of what happened?”
“I’m sorry, Wynncrest, but considering that Naomi and Kai are, well…linked, shall we say, I cannot allow her to enter Overon.”
Blood drained from Shanavale’s face. “What? Father...”
Valos took a deep breath and sighed. “I’m sorry, Shanavale, but I’m going to have to. As of this moment, Kai and Naomi are banished from Overon. They are to be caught and imprisoned at first sight.”
* * * * *
Kai huffed loudly and gently dug his heels into the sides of his tiger. His ferocious mount understood his request and sped up into a blistering run. Kai’s ear suddenly flicked as he heard a faint voice cutting through the wind.
“Kai!”
He ignored the voice as he pressed on over the hills behind Overon, towards the wooded horizon.
“Kai!”
He chanced a glance behind him and saw a deep green lizard as large as his tiger scuttling towards him, a woman at its reins. He turned away, the forest growing larger with each passing second.
“Forget it, Naomi,” he whispered. “This doesn’t concern you right now.” He leaned forward and slapped his mount’s shoulder. The white tiger roared and broke into an all-out sprint for the Great Forest, to the north of Overon.
* * * * *
The chamra slowed to a stop as Kai and his mount disappeared into the forest. Naomi couldn’t help but bite her lip as tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Dammit!” she cursed, punching the saddle. “Dammit!”
“Kai was always headstrong,” Rishal, in her feline form, said as she caught up to Naomi.
“I know,” Naomi replied. “I also know that he won’t listen to me, especially with your father close to dying.”
A fox strode up to them. “Be that as it may, Master Akanaku seemed to know full well how he would die. He took whatever precautions he could to prepare Kai for it.”
“Only the Master or Mistress of the Forest Sanctum is able to see into the future, right?”
Rishal nodded. “Yes, but only after swearing a vow of silence with loss of honor, position and abilities, as well as being outcast from our people, as punishment. Even the Brothers and Apprentices of the Forest Sanctum are not exempt from this vow.”
“Can you tell us anything, Brother Kish’Ron?”
Kish’Ron nodded. “All I can tell you without risking my position is that Kai plays a pivotal role in the events that are to come.”
Naomi’s eyes widened. “Is that why…?”
Rishal nodded. “Yes. Kai cannot know of what is to come, what hardships will befall him. He may be the older of the two of us, but he must not know what role he is meant to play.”
“Come with us,” Kish’Ron said to Naomi. “Headstrong as he may be, he trusts you and cares for you. And with Master Keeper Akanaku at his deathbed, Kai needs someone close to him to be at his side.”
=[ End of Chapter Two: No Silver Lining ]=
A/N: I couldn't believe how quickly I turned out this chapter before uploading it. I never felt so inspired, so eager, to work on this story, and I haven't felt this good at finishing a chapter since...I can't even remember when. I hate to single someone out and gush over that single person, because I respect and enjoy everyone's feedback, but I have to dedicate this entire chapter to cu-kid. Your review inspired me so greatly I finished the chapter as soon as I finished reading it. I swear I was squealing like a fangirl when I saw such a long review. Anyway, back to the drawing board, and remember that reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated!
Excalion
Chapter Two: No Silver Lining
=[ Part Three ]=
This is wrong, Jacen thought to himself as he closed his eyes, cringing as he snapped the neck of the unwary sentry.
“This is perfect,” one female said. He looked to his right and spotted one of his younger sisters, the oldest girl out of all his siblings. “These Overon pigs must be getting fat and soft if they didn’t even realize you were coming, Jacen.”
“If it weren’t for me, we wouldn’t have had the drop on them as easily as we did,” he scoffed in a low voice as two of his younger brothers dragged one dead Overon patrolman into the bushes. “You’re getting too overconfident and obstinate, Mei.”
“And you’re getting too soft and lightheaded, Brother,” she spat back. “How can you be so content living in the shadows of that bitch and her family?”
He answered her question with a fierce slap across the face, knocking her to the ground. “An Overon may be inferior to your mind, Mei, but watch your language. If she was able to defeat me, think of how easily she would be able to defeat you.”
Jacen’s sister growled as she heard the creaking of wheels as well as the snorting of horses. She looked down the path. “Hide!” she hissed. “Someone’s coming!”
As his sister ducked into the brush, a plot formed in his mind. Looking up into the forest canopy of Mara’s Grove, he quickly waved away the three assassins he saw hiding there. He looked down the dirt road to see a convoy of long, horse-drawn carriages moving quickly towards him.
“Who goes there?” he called out.
“What are you doing?” Mei hissed. “We’ll get found out!”
He didn’t answer as he gently kicked his sister away. “Who goes there?” he repeated.
The driver of the lead carriage stopped before him, the young woman beside him leveling a crossbow at Jacen’s heart. “I am Jaden, Invincible Swordsman of the Barawani Traveling Fair. Who are you?”
Jacen put his hands to his hips. “Jacen, of the house of Omicronus.” He tilted his head questioningly at Jaden. “You seem awfully determined to get to Overon. And the woman behind you seems awfully determined to shoot that bolt into my chest.”
“Mara’s Grove is unnaturally quiet, Omicronus. My family does not want to stay any longer in these woods than is absolutely necessary.”
“I have some of my men doing stealth training here,” he answered. “There is the explanation for the silence of the wood, and the answer to your unease.”
“Somehow I doubt that.”
“What?” Jacen huffed haughtily. “My House does not need to steal from petty Traveling Fairs.”
The young woman behind Jaden stood and readied her crossbow. “One more arrogant word out of you, Omicronus, and I’ll feed your head to the horses!”
Jacen raised his hands in a mock attempt to placate the woman. “Easy, young woman. I’m not here to shed blood. If I did, the twenty warriors with me, hiding up in the trees and bushes around us, I might add, would have cut you down by now.”
“I know you’re not here to mince words, Jacen of Omicronus,” Jaden said. “Why did you stop me?”
“I simply wanted to know who was passing through Mara’s Grove while I was training some of my soldiers. I didn’t want any of my people to be mistaken for highwaymen, nor did I want to needlessly spill blood, especially one from an outer Greater Kingdom.”
Jaden narrowed his eyes. “Why are you training your men, Jacen? The Kingdoms are at peace.”
“Can a powerful family not dispatch their troops within their territory merely to hone the skills that have not been used since the Hydra War?”
“Still…”
Jacen cut him off. “Look, Invincible Swordsman, I must get back to training the whelps under my command.” He took a sheathed short sword from his belt and tossed it towards Jaden. “Take this as a gesture of my goodwill. As long as I am alive, no one from my house will harm you.”
Jaden caught the sword at the scabbard. “What proof do I have that this will grant me amnesty from your people?”
“Just above the cross-guard on the blade is my private emblem,” Jacen replied. Jaden unsheathed the sword partway, revealing an etched capital ‘O’ with a larger capital ‘I’ through it. Jacen bowed at the hip. “To you, Jaden, Invincible Swordsman of the Barawani Traveling Fair, I present my white flag.”
Jaden sheathed the short sword again and nodded doubtfully. “Very well. I have your word that no harm will come from your family to mine.”
Jacen nodded solemnly. “On my blood as a warrior and as an Omicronus.” He grinned. “Although I would like my weapon returned once your Traveling Fair leaves Overon.”
* * * * *
“This is a farce!” Valos shouted. “This is a complete lie!”
Wynn nodded. “I understand, Your Majesty, but the Forest Sanctum has absolutely nothing to gain from this. Someone from House Overon must be allowed to go to the Forest Sanctum to confirm what the message says!”
“The missive is a fabrication,” Valos said. “I will not allow anyone of my House to leave Overon.”
“Father, you have to listen to reason!” Shanavale shouted. “There was an assassination attempt on Kai’s father’s life! Someone from our family!”
“You very well know, Shanavale, that our family does not resort to treacherous tactics such as assassinations,” her father returned. “In any event, the assassins have been killed by Kai’s people. There is no further need to pursue the matter until Kai or someone else from the Forest Sanctum comes to us and asks for some form of repayment, if they choose to come and ask.”
“Father, you can’t do this! If you don’t at least try to talk with them, they could take that as a breaking of our union! We can’t just sit here and not explain ourselves to Kai’s people!”
“Enough, Shanavale!” Valos’ voice thundered. “I will hear nothing more of this matter. I will not permit you, Wynn, or anyone in our family outside the city limits. No one from the Forest Sanctum is permitted.”
“What about the Kingdom of Lightning Peaks?”
Shanavale’s father turned to Wynn. “What about them?”
“What if Naomi decides to come back to inform us of what happened?”
“I’m sorry, Wynncrest, but considering that Naomi and Kai are, well…linked, shall we say, I cannot allow her to enter Overon.”
Blood drained from Shanavale’s face. “What? Father...”
Valos took a deep breath and sighed. “I’m sorry, Shanavale, but I’m going to have to. As of this moment, Kai and Naomi are banished from Overon. They are to be caught and imprisoned at first sight.”
* * * * *
Kai huffed loudly and gently dug his heels into the sides of his tiger. His ferocious mount understood his request and sped up into a blistering run. Kai’s ear suddenly flicked as he heard a faint voice cutting through the wind.
“Kai!”
He ignored the voice as he pressed on over the hills behind Overon, towards the wooded horizon.
“Kai!”
He chanced a glance behind him and saw a deep green lizard as large as his tiger scuttling towards him, a woman at its reins. He turned away, the forest growing larger with each passing second.
“Forget it, Naomi,” he whispered. “This doesn’t concern you right now.” He leaned forward and slapped his mount’s shoulder. The white tiger roared and broke into an all-out sprint for the Great Forest, to the north of Overon.
* * * * *
The chamra slowed to a stop as Kai and his mount disappeared into the forest. Naomi couldn’t help but bite her lip as tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Dammit!” she cursed, punching the saddle. “Dammit!”
“Kai was always headstrong,” Rishal, in her feline form, said as she caught up to Naomi.
“I know,” Naomi replied. “I also know that he won’t listen to me, especially with your father close to dying.”
A fox strode up to them. “Be that as it may, Master Akanaku seemed to know full well how he would die. He took whatever precautions he could to prepare Kai for it.”
“Only the Master or Mistress of the Forest Sanctum is able to see into the future, right?”
Rishal nodded. “Yes, but only after swearing a vow of silence with loss of honor, position and abilities, as well as being outcast from our people, as punishment. Even the Brothers and Apprentices of the Forest Sanctum are not exempt from this vow.”
“Can you tell us anything, Brother Kish’Ron?”
Kish’Ron nodded. “All I can tell you without risking my position is that Kai plays a pivotal role in the events that are to come.”
Naomi’s eyes widened. “Is that why…?”
Rishal nodded. “Yes. Kai cannot know of what is to come, what hardships will befall him. He may be the older of the two of us, but he must not know what role he is meant to play.”
“Come with us,” Kish’Ron said to Naomi. “Headstrong as he may be, he trusts you and cares for you. And with Master Keeper Akanaku at his deathbed, Kai needs someone close to him to be at his side.”
=[ End of Chapter Two: No Silver Lining ]=
A/N: I couldn't believe how quickly I turned out this chapter before uploading it. I never felt so inspired, so eager, to work on this story, and I haven't felt this good at finishing a chapter since...I can't even remember when. I hate to single someone out and gush over that single person, because I respect and enjoy everyone's feedback, but I have to dedicate this entire chapter to cu-kid. Your review inspired me so greatly I finished the chapter as soon as I finished reading it. I swear I was squealing like a fangirl when I saw such a long review. Anyway, back to the drawing board, and remember that reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated!