"Your Grace, I must confess, you are ageing with considerable speed," Marquees Vaelin Thorn jabbed, pointing his falcon headed staff at twenty-five-year old Sirius' frowning forehead.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC3S6uveXAU
Himself, a man of family with three kids and a pregnant wife, at the ripe age of twenty-five, the ginger headed man found much pleasure in rubbing his happiness in the face of every bachelor in the room or, in this case, a carriage.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPF3nHc6ORv
"You're even keeping Albert's head poured into the Dukedom. Poor sod will jump a maid one day, out of mere desperation and curiosity over breasts," Vaelin snorted, words as vulgar as always.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzfpnT0MEfy
Sirius narrowed his amythest eyes at his so-called-friend before flicking a finger at his staff, which shot an electric bolt through the metal, zapping him in the process.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUIHKMMxY1Z
Vaelin let out a girly shriek, throwing away his staff under the carriage bench and clutching his hands to his heart. "Mercy! My Duke, Mercy!" The ginger cried out.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4JxIPuDn8
"Stay in your lane," Sirius grumbled, supporting his elbow on the carriage window's ledge and blankly staring at the winding rocky terrain in front.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIBoPv5zb6j
"Sheesh, you cannot even take a joke! I was joking, of course! Why are you so aggressive?!"
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0LJRer8Fs
Sirius chose to ignore Vaelin's subsequent gaslighting, lest he'd lose a friend by his own hands. Mostly all Nobels would either be engaged or married around the time of their Succession. Titles were not given until a man was of established family, for then only was he considered respectful and responsible within society.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNlVEJ8QPj
Ever since Sirius came of age, he had been calling bullshit over that fact.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfS2to4lc6
Why did he need to have a wife and children to prove his worth within society? To prove that he was a gentleman who wasn't going to gamble his title away? Surely, he had seen more adulterators and gamblers made out of married men than young bachelors.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm34heqHEtQ
He had stayed unmarried for so long just to prove his point to the ever-frowning Royal Court. He could run a Dukedom without a wife who'd tell him when to wake up and get to work.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKRTCTnGjFZ
Sirius would rather be the one doing the waking up, if he ever had a wife.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZPTwo2PZF
The thought would often cross his head, being married to someone. Having an entirely unknown person so up-close and personal, jutting her nose in his business, making him accountable for her life— Sirius was not ready for that sort of intrusion.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrA9gF5mcMr
It seemed ridiculous to have someone around for the rest of his life, just because of heirs, and Sirius was too much of a smart man to marry for love.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadLwZMBMdD
He had seen grown men become blithering fools in love, a sobbing mess over miscommunication, and Sirius would rather willingly jump into the gallows than see himself become that way.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2rdc5kyOHB
He liked himself just as he was now.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKWDmsK1raR
His dark gaze travelled over to Vaelin who was grumbling something under his breath, and his beliefs were confirmed yet again. Yes. He wouldn't want to become someone like Vaelin, struggling over kids and diapers and whatnot.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvpmcyeCcJ
"I have an inkling about your thoughts. You are being jealous inside your pretty little head," Vaelin claimed, a bright smile on his face, now pointing his long finger in Sirius' face.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTNWVM2haQW
"Do you love being a filler? Why do you always keep speaking something, yet, making no sense at the same time?" Sirius berated, rubbing his slender hands over his face, out of mere exasperation and exhaustion.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQxyYSxSDd
Journeying to Aldoria and back, within a day, had got him lethargic. Maybe he was ageing - for all the different reasons.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ebG7VCVd4
"You're just salty because I happen to have better conversation skills," Vaelin grinned a boxy grin, carding his hand through his ginger locks. He wiggled his brows to look charismatic, yet, all he looked to Sirius was a wannabe.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡciUoWc2Bug
"There's just no going through your head, is there?" Sirius gasped in reply. Why did he even try hard with Vaelin? His pea-sized radius of thought would never expand beyond the likes of his own self.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedSoPL2W6T
As if one cue, Vaelin jumped forward, voice only above a whisper, "Talking of going through, did you think of a plan? To get through HER?"
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsf1hnIRh4v
Sirius shook his head, silver locks gently swaying with regret.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKY5raq91n
"I am searching for someone. Loyalty is hard to buy even with money and magic."
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpA1m2TXtl
Vaelin nodded in understanding. Their lands bifurcated by blood homed thousands of people, where a brother couldn't trust his own brother lest their blood ended up being different.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKwr94dBqmY
A sudden chill ran down Sirius' spine and his back straightened up.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdopHKADUQ
His nerves were on high alert. He clicked open the window to check the outside when a stone zoomed inside the carriage. It brushed past his hair and charged at Vaelin's forehead.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxl3YnABhVh
Instantly, the gingerhead caught it in between his fingers and Sirius bolted the window shut. Face puzzled, mind abuzz with thoughts.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9jBRyXTBN
"What is this circus about —?" Vaelin scowled, eyeing the small rock for any malicious enchantments. When he observed its rough texture to be nothing but normal, he looked up to frown at his friend.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNY0ckC6qa
"I reckon it's an ambush," Sirius concluded, returning Vaelin's frown.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejs3Fnn4gW
"Did they find out?!" Vaelin gasped, brown eyes widening to their limits as his fingers clutched against the edge of his seat.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzAtedoyA5
"No. I think they are trying to find out. We are to either die or go out and defeat it ourselves and risk being identified." Sirius gritted his teeth. "If we use our magic, we will leave our Arcane Mark—"
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowO28tPQS2
A sudden banging behind Vaelin's side of the carriage wall caught them off guard.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡroz4Mt4Rnr
"My Sires! There is- there is a Granitaur here!! A real one!! Sire it is headed towards us!!" Their driver screamed, wildly banging both of his hands on the carriage wall.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrgw7Cz6cMY
Vaelin unbolted the carriage gate and it flung wide open, the metal fluttering like a dry leaf amidst strong gusts of winds.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09TrasGtuT
"Stay calm Matthew, it is not after you. You may run away and it wouldn't —" Sirius' words were hindered by the driver.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQe3mppjec5
"There is woman! My sire! She is asking you to stay inside. Maybe she is a mage—"
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLAaF09JW5v
The door banged shut.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7vGnJFyOVW
Sirius and Vaelin's heads thrashed against the carriage roof as their bottoms left the seat, gravity playing a little joke on them as the air pressure escaped into space.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5k0HIWn9eI
Their throats got clogged and breathing became a fantasy in split second.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifVIg5hcun
Vaelin gasped for air, eyes bulging out, hand resisting magic as Sirius desperately shuffled to find a small box from his pockets.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl3PnIZgLIy
They could not use magic for it would leave their Magical Signature, Arcane Mark, in the place and make their trails easily trackable. Their enemies would know of their identities and they would be hung to death before sundown.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rel4JZkuo
His hand struggled, but ultimately, Sirius found the box from his pocket and pulled it out. In a moment of haste he flipped it open and gulped the bead that was inside the box.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA4t0qvVvMv
Air found its way back to their lungs, gravity gently rested them to the ground. His amythest eyes glowed red as his feet touched the carriage floor.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLEvB4TKyv
⩩
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGDi5KIisp
Ori's feet suddenly touched ground and an elevating feeling embraced her. Her mind was on a mission.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6raDJRNWk
She raced against shooting stones charging at the carriage and plundering it with holes.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmV5oflTOP
With a desperate hope of its inhabitants to be safe, Ori reached the giant log stack and picked up one of them with a dragged breath. Its heaviness bent her knees and strained her back as she lifted it in one hand and arched to aim at the monster.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1aOxSftcR
Every stone charging at the carriage had now formed a shield in front of it. The people inside the carriage must be magicians, Ori concluded.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8XovHx0sAl
Now, it was in Ori's hands to work hard. Her blue orbs singled on the glowing hollow gaps between the stone monster and she shot the log into the air.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3fGmTcZiFh
SMACK!
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgtm4xtdua
The log slid into one of the monster's back cracks and impaled through its body. It staggered, roaring a deafening roar. The strange gusts of air died down around them. Ori beelined towards the carriage and stole the sword of the young driver boy who had long passed out.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJL1gdTV3nH
The monster charged one of its fists at her.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLzHw4gI6h
Ori didn't look back as she dodged the monster's attack and swung the stolen sword with all her might. The blade struck the monster's rocky hide with a loud clang, and Ori felt the impact reverberate through her arm.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh43lqUJzKX
"Heck, I did not eat enough for this—" she groaned as a wave of nausea ran through her. Ori had heard stories about these stone monsters, Garnitaurs, from travellers and young adventurers. They had claimed one hit in the monster's core and it would be over soon.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKRGXCaMxvh
The monster pelted her with stones again and Ori skillfully cut through the attacks. She moved forward to slash against him. The sword was sharp, and it made a deep gash in the monster's side. The creature roared in fury and swung its massive stone arms at Ori. She jumped out of the way just in time, the sword still clutched tightly in her hand.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡst9QoSGQ3x
As the monster raged on, Ori realized that the boy's sword was unlike any she had ever used before. It felt weightless in her hand, yet she could feel its power coursing through her veins. It was almost magic when she slashed the monster's stony feet and toppled it over to the ground.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2thbapvvyA
It crashed, making the land vibrate due to the impact. Ori took it as an opportunity to climb over its stony trail and impale its glowing chest, cutting off its life source once and for all.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8NixqY2nJ
Ori grinned, but as soon as her fingers left the sword's hilt, a wave of magic vibrated through the atmosphere.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwFOFtHeDga
It carried her slender self and propelled her several feet away from the monster. The carriage too flung straight into the air and crashed several feet away into the ground.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqeyVvPjA48
Ori's head hit one of the few stones and her body dragged against the coarse surface as pointy stones cut open gashes in her flesh. Right before her vision blacked out, Ori's face had a smile, for the monster lay dead and the carriage survivors were running towards her.
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVphqv20mJP
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAi3JxP2fVL
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnyAXjWDda
ns 172.69.7.28da2
and then Add to home screen.