"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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANA78Ao9tHyGq
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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANA1HxpJNKwWA
"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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANA5nBDiei8aW
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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAUmm2e22jCI
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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAnE3BHgqEub
"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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAIQNkmLDzCi
"Sheesh, you cannot even take a joke! I was joking, of course! Why are you so aggressive?!"
506Please respect copyright.PENANAl6rRHH3xYg
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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAQnnHVj65hE
Ever since Sirius came of age, he had been calling bullshit over that fact.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAFZonwaTYqy
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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAcEBXz2LyNZ
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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAgN7M4fppOM
Sirius would rather be the one doing the waking up, if he ever had a wife.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAJ3DZd81oyC
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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAr3X5vIjAkk
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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANA6285s6Sh1S
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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAk8i5Jvlm1Q
He liked himself just as he was now.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAENxEQL9FZ5
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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAgDy3RFL1Aw
"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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANADqSdzSRrJR
"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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAkq0h4WYgnv
Journeying to Aldoria and back, within a day, had got him lethargic. Maybe he was ageing - for all the different reasons.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAEgzBhCzNtw
"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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAkFL12f6oRt
"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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAefcpYX7sur
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?"
506Please respect copyright.PENANATPjJzcR1Z6
Sirius shook his head, silver locks gently swaying with regret.
506Please respect copyright.PENANANb9PIURJNm
"I am searching for someone. Loyalty is hard to buy even with money and magic."
506Please respect copyright.PENANATbVXouOtJt
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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAnLQmIFxhgj
A sudden chill ran down Sirius' spine and his back straightened up.
506Please respect copyright.PENANALaly6MHy1B
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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAzH4niMGK67
Instantly, the gingerhead caught it in between his fingers and Sirius bolted the window shut. Face puzzled, mind abuzz with thoughts.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAWZwlOV68c6
"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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAOB2PhLrGWF
"I reckon it's an ambush," Sirius concluded, returning Vaelin's frown.
506Please respect copyright.PENANA1SlSNC4jjA
"Did they find out?!" Vaelin gasped, brown eyes widening to their limits as his fingers clutched against the edge of his seat.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAmJIrHwJ9y9
"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—"
506Please respect copyright.PENANAL140Ms27bg
A sudden banging behind Vaelin's side of the carriage wall caught them off guard.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAEg4MXS8HIx
"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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANA6RWY3ddP9o
Vaelin unbolted the carriage gate and it flung wide open, the metal fluttering like a dry leaf amidst strong gusts of winds.
506Please respect copyright.PENANA3a8dVPmWns
"Stay calm Matthew, it is not after you. You may run away and it wouldn't —" Sirius' words were hindered by the driver.
506Please respect copyright.PENANA4NokD6UDfd
"There is woman! My sire! She is asking you to stay inside. Maybe she is a mage—"
506Please respect copyright.PENANAMzsmk0wFAw
The door banged shut.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAO4PoEolD2y
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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAno6pB8rOol
Their throats got clogged and breathing became a fantasy in split second.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAdxcURTq2lU
Vaelin gasped for air, eyes bulging out, hand resisting magic as Sirius desperately shuffled to find a small box from his pockets.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAQTi3CIlmqk
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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAwq9B6ylt8q
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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANA6AJo51QPyy
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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAkGXZkC6dGe
⩩
506Please respect copyright.PENANAQPXXjE8MvK
Ori's feet suddenly touched ground and an elevating feeling embraced her. Her mind was on a mission.
506Please respect copyright.PENANA5zmNrM2XMI
She raced against shooting stones charging at the carriage and plundering it with holes.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAc4obrZvI4Z
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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAQsLfyzIKdv
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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANANOyZg0lDrM
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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAmyGXu2i5aO
SMACK!
506Please respect copyright.PENANABiB7OcK822
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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANA1Vrzm9c9L1
The monster charged one of its fists at her.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAjEUKYfCB6s
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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANATQRFY2BKRG
"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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAxsUYx3OnqL
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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANA75gDVsTwnI
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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAzeYik74amS
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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANA6LV9IDfhQY
Ori grinned, but as soon as her fingers left the sword's hilt, a wave of magic vibrated through the atmosphere.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAKSDAhnlfNC
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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAH4nqFgchFm
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.
506Please respect copyright.PENANAhNFZy78h16
506Please respect copyright.PENANAHW0p8JrpU7
506Please respect copyright.PENANA54Gqe84cxW
ns216.73.216.64da2