Alright, before anyone starts reading, I've been reworking each chapter again as of the beginning of July 2023, so there's some parts that have some major changes while remaining the same, along with others preluding to some big stuff occurring later on. Chapter Six is still the original chapter Seven and is still the largest chapter as of this moment, however, so don't expect any that big until the later chapters.
"Oi, don't go sitting around with your thumb in your ass, get to work!" came a shout as Oliver entered the tavern, soon seeing Oric shouting to one of his waiters as they seemed to be dozing off, soon snapping the man out of it before he ran for a set of customers that had just sat down. Oric just sighed as he looked to the entrance, soon noticing Oliver's entry before he nodded over towards the corner of the bar, letting Oliver notice that Serphia and Sylphia at the far end of the bar conversing, making the man sigh as he sat down in front of the barkeep. "They've been talking the entire time they've been here, Serphia telling stories of the last few months in the army."
"Well, war stories are always a fun past time for soldiers and mercenaries to tell." Oliver responded as Oric placed a small glass in front of him, soon pulling out a few silver coins as Oric picked up a bottle of what Oliver normally ordered, a sweet mead that was made in the northern kingdom of Dargoth. "So then, any more reports of attacks throughout the day?"
"Fortunately, no. Travelers have been coming in with little trouble, and apparently the creatures around the forest have picked the bones of those creatures clean." Oric spoke as he soon filled the glass, Oliver only looking at him confused as he continued. "Along with that, some other hunters have come in with their own bounties recently, making the forest path mainly clear to move on without trouble."
"Well, that's always good, but it means I can't find any work for the next month or so." Oliver sighed, making Oric look at him as Oliver picked up the glass and downed the drink, soon looking back at the barkeep with a smile. "Those two did seem to cause quite some ruckus, though, so I'm sure to have dealt with the problems for now."
"Though I doubt killing those two beasts will cause any creatures to stay put for long." Oric spoke as the two looked over to where Serphia and Sylphia were, both laughing from something they had apparently missed. "Speaking of pairs of two, those two are having quite a ball after one being gone for so long."
"Aye, though it's far more subtle than what could've happened." Oliver responded before he remembered his fight with Elia and her words used to make him go all out, causing him to sigh as he leaned back in his chair, soon looking up to the ceiling. "That princess of yours is quite a piece of work. Did you know she talks while she's facing opponents?"
"Only the ones she wants to see the abilities of, from what I've heard from General Darius." Oric responded as he poured another glass of the mead and set it beside Oliver's first glass. Oliver's mind went back to the large man that had stopped his fight with the three warriors, remembering his own curiosity of him that had appeared while he was selling the beasts.
"So I could tell, but using someone's student as a threat to ensure a wager?" Oliver asked as he looked back over to the drink Oric had poured, not even feeling a buzz from the first drink for reasons he already knew and hated. That was his only problem with this country and it's culture, it was so close to how the middle ages were that they didn't have that well of drinking water, so the amount of alcohol that was used in drinks was only enough to clean the drinks of bacteria, far from enough to get drunk by. "That kind of stuff should be taboo in fights…"
"So you're telling me that you wouldn't have done the same in her boots, regardless of how little you knew of your opponent?" Oric asked, making Oliver look back at him as he picked up the drink, only taking a sip this time while thinking through his answer. From what he could see on Oric's face, it was as if he knew that Elia would ask him for a fight, but probably didn't even know how it could turn out.
"…You're right, I probably might have even pushed worse buttons." Oliver spoke as he set down his drink, keeping his gaze on the bar keep as he noticed a grin on their face. "You're always good at finding out stuff like that from people?"
"Only when they've been drinking at my tavern for over a year." Oric responded as he set the bottle down beside Oliver's glass. "But still, a person who's only been hunting danger beasts, capable of taking out three elite guards while also keeping their nose out of crowds and just roams through the city on days looking around? Most nobles would find it suspicious."
"Maybe, but it doesn't mean I have to like it." Oliver responded as he looked down at the contents of his drink, soon lifting it up again. "However, I still found our match interesting, and she seemed just as pleased with it. I even ended up saying to call me over if she wants another match."
"Hopefully not in a bed chamber." Oric responded as Oliver started to take a sip of his drink, soon spitting it out and coughing profusely as the man laughed.
*cough, cough*"You choose the moment I'm drinking to think up a joke?" Oliver asked as he rubbed his throat, looking at the old mans grin before he sighed. "So then, how bad is the rest of the paths around the city?"
"Right now there aren't that many creatures with bounties on them, and the rest are taken up by most of the hunters." Oric responded as Oliver downed the rest of his drink, soon tossing two gold coins on the bar as he grabbed the bottle and poured another drink. "I'm guessing you're wanting to grab one the moment it pops up?"
"Maybe, but not this week, I'm too sore from my match…" Oliver sighed as he leaned onto the bar, soon getting back up as he felt his arms start to hurt from pressure. "And I can't even rest on the bar without hitting places her blade almost made contact to."
"So you faced her without a weapon?" Oric asked as he looked at Oliver confused, the dark haired man only smirking as he pulled back his right sleeve to show bruises that could've ended up as cuts or fractures if he wasn't careful. Oric just looked at it in wonder as one of his waiters moved into the bar, now working on the drinks as to keep any customers from getting rowdy. "Just how strong is that martial art of yours?"
"As a friend of mine once said: It depends on the mindset of the fighter rather than the fighting style they use." Oliver spoke as he picked his drink back up before draining it, soon setting it back down as he picked up the bottle again with his free hand. "My fighting style was among a few that were more recent than most in my previous land, an art called Tae Kwon Do, so it didn't have any long and grand history like learning from the movements of certain animals or anything. It has, however, altered over my time fighting other people, so I've become more fluent with it."
"So your ability of fighting is only good because you've gained more experience in using it in actual combat." Oric responded as he picked up one of the glasses the waiter had brought over, soon dipping it into a bucket of clear water that was beside him before he started to work on cleaning it, another bucket beside it holding a dark and murky water from being used recently. "I've heard from some of the guards that the same thing was said by the instructor of that girl while she was training with him."
"I wouldn't be surprised, he seems to have done a good job with her so far." Oliver spoke as he picked up the bottle and the cork that went into it, soon jamming it in as he saw that the two girls hadn't even noticed his arrival this entire time. "Well, seeing as how they look busy, I'll just ask you to tell Serphia to come early in the morning for training."
"You're not going to stick around for a bit longer?" Oric asked as Oliver got up, rolling his sleeve back over his arm as he shook his head. "More importantly, are you even going to be fit for training?"
"I'll be fine, I was called an excellent defender but a terrible attacker by my dad when it comes to my martial arts." Oliver replied as he stretched his arms out a bit, soon hearing some resounding pops as his body started to move. He then smirked as he turned to the door, his mind already going through their fight as he finally felt a buzz that numbed a bit of the pain he had. "Besides, I'm more worried on how sore that princess will be tomorrow morning, though that depends on if she's ever fought anyone else on her level of fighting for an excess period of time."
-the next morning-
Elia hissed as she got out the castle, her body unable to move without feeling sore as she walked along the edge of the wall towards the steps leading up, her own morning stretches only getting them down to half of what they were. 'He really did a number on me during the fight, though he's probably feeling just as sore.' Elia thought as she started to climb the steps, her gaze on the sky as she saw a red sun rising. As she gazed at it, she felt a small bit of worry as it rose above a few of the mountain peaks, clouds seeming to roll behind it.
"Ah, Elia, you're up early." came a surprised voice, making the princess turn to find Arlus walking up the steps with some papers in his hand, Elia only nodding as she turned back to the sun. "So how did your match with that hunter go?"
"He forced me to use my actual fighting style, and even then he defeated me at the end with one simple motion, as if he was only playing around up to the point I actually aggravated him." Elia spoke as she rolled her arm, feeling the muscles still sore as she looked at some of the clouds around the sun. Arlus just looked at her with curiosity as he heard the fact that the man defeated her, catching his own interest. "He's more impressive than I guessed, that's for certain. He even had a presence similar to fathers when he's either on the battlefield or passing judgement."
"I wouldn't be surprised, given what your instructor has said about him." Arlus spoke as he leaned over on the wall, his gaze overlooking the city itself as the sun's beams slowly began to wash over it. Elia just looked at him confused, making him smirk as he held up the papers. "According to him, he has the potential to not only lead armies, but destroy them on his own if he wanted to. Along with that, he's killed an alpha danger beast along with five of it's pack without having a scratch afterwards."
"He has that much potential? Yet keeps as a hunter?" Elia responded as she looked at him confused, soon grabbing the papers before she looked into them, Arlus only sighing as he turned his gaze up to the sun. Elia then looked at the paper intently as Arlus began to speak this time.
"As you know, he's a hunter because he decided on sending three kills in the form of tax payment each month." Arlus spoke as Elia's eyes grew slightly wider while looking at the paper. It was a report on each of the monsters killed by Oliver over the year he had been there, along with any extra's he brought in to sell. "However, he's focused mainly on danger beasts, and strong one's at that. It's actually peaked the interest of some of the guards thinking he could be an enemy spy in disguise."
"And what do you think on this?" Elia asked as she scanned through the paper a second time before handing it back to the prince, who only sighed as he took it as Elia looked on the second paper, showing reports of any activity around the city.
"Honestly, I can't decide since I haven't met him outside of the festival." Arlus responded as he turned to look at the castle, hearing guards start to march for their morning routine. "From what I've heard from my spies and from other sources, however, he keeps away from the large crowds for information and keeps himself mainly at his own home, keeping mainly to the tavern or helping out his student in her training."
"I've crossed swords with him, so I can vouch that he doesn't plan on causing any harm and actually wants to see to his student being treated fairly, like a father is to their child." Elia spoke as two guards marched up the steps, soon handing back the other paper to Arlus as she gazed back at the clouds, now bigger than they were last time. "Seems like it's going to be cloudy for today."
"Let's just hope that's all and nothing severe, otherwise we'll be working on repairing the city again." Arlus spoke as the guards marched past them to their posts. "The king is planning on throwing a party for your return tonight, depending on if the remaining nobles make it here by today. I'm guessing you'll want to find some place else to rest?"
"It would help." Elia sighed, turning back to the steps before walking for them, Arlus just sighing as he leaned back against the wall. "In the meantime, I think I'll go find out exactly where that hunter is."
-Oliver-
Oliver had fallen asleep early the night prior, and for that he woke up a few hours before the sun rose. So, given that it wasn't yet time for anyone to be open yet, nor for the animals or danger beasts to start moving frequently, he decided to change into the same clothes he had worn the first day he appeared in the world, and practice with a wooden makeshift longsword. As he was training, however, he still felt the bruises and duress from his spar with the princess, slowing his moves a bit as he swung the sword with his right hand, each slash an arc of it's own as he made a mock battle in his mind with warriors that would aim for his own weak points, deciding on the hardest abilities to defend from. 'Just once, I'd like a day after a fight that I'm not sore from, physically or emotionally...' Oliver thought as he let go of the blade and struck through one of his imaginary opponents with a knife strike, grabbing the blade upside down with his left hand before swinging it in a circular arc before he felt something in his pants right pocket. He then stopped his arc before he stood up, putting his free hand into it before feeling a familiar ring, one he remembered holding his family's seal that he had custom made years back. 'Nobility, huh...'
Oliver sighed as he slipped the ring on in his pocket, a small smile forming on his face as he remembered the trouble he had gotten through getting it years back. It was actually a few days afterwards that he even figured out how his abilities had worked, and was even the same day that he met Derek, if he remembered correctly.
'Well, if you ever decide to actually start with changing this country like you've claimed so much, be sure to call me up.' Oliver's mind remembered that offer from the man well, it even derived from how important he was.
"Derek and Lief, the blades of Myrkr..." Oliver muttered to himself as he pulled his hand out of his pocket, soon sitting down as he felt his own shoulders tense at his own recollection of them, and his own realization. "I guess it's just going to always feel this lonely without you two."
"Without which two?" came a voice close-by, startling Oliver as he spun around and took an attack stance, soon seeing Serphia and Sylphia jumping back from his sudden motion. "Woah there, we're not anything to hunt!"
"Right, right." Oliver muttered as he set his practice weapon down in front of him, his mind still feeling a bit of the sadness he held before he clapped his hands on his face twice to wake himself up. The next second he was looking at the girls smiling, Serphia looking a bit worried from the look he had prior. "Sorry, was thinking of some memories of the past. How's it been since you've been back?"
"It's been good, the guards have been giving drills to strengthen the patrol formations and power in any surprise attacks, and most of the soldiers are working together with them by adding a few of us in the formations." Serphia responded as Oliver walked past the two, both soon following as he went for his house. "I'm supposed to be going on a patrol at noon, so I decided to come over right now and try to wake you up."
"Gods, that's a bit selfish with waking up an instructor." Oliver spoke as he went up the steps, his door already open given it wouldn't really change the fact of the bugs flying around the place. The other two just walked in to see a large danger beast similar to a giant chicken on the table in the center of the house, already dead and cooked to where it could be edible, the mead bottle he had taken with him beside it and empty. Oliver had caught it some time before he had passed out, the creature attacking him on his way back home, and quickly killed it before taking it back home for dinner. It was too much to eat in one go, so he decided to leave it for when he ended up hungry. "You two up for something to eat before I start training Serphia?"
"Sure." Sylphia replied, Serphia only nodding before the two took seats closest to the door, Oliver walking around the table to the kitchen before finding three pairs of makeshift forks and knives. He then walked back before sliding two of the pairs to the two girls, both grabbing them before he walked over to the opposite side and sat down, his seat next to the fireplace as the other two took a few of the plates and set them in front of them. Oliver then smirked as he took his own plate from the pile before he closed his eyes and clasped his hands together.
"Oloric Varshta." Oliver murmured, feeling the stress slightly relieve itself from his shoulders before he took one of the legs of the danger beast, the other two looking at him confused from the words.
"What was that language?" Serphia asked, making Oliver look over to her as he smiled.
"Something that my own master, Myrkr, said every now and then." Oliver spoke as he set the meat down in front of him, a smirk coming on his face as he saw her eyes widen. "It's an ancient language lost to all but those who learn in the art he taught me. The meaning of those words, though a bit rough, is 'In your memory'. It's used to give thanks to those who fell for their beliefs."
"Your master in the martial art you use?" Sylphia asked as she used the knife to cut off a bit of the cooked beast, Oliver soon shaking his head before he took a bite of the leg, the two looking at him interested in the language as he pondered on what to tell them.
"...Not exactly a master of combat, but he was someone who had trained me in battle and the workings of life." Oliver spoke, soon setting the meat down as he continued pondering on his thoughts. "Like you two may have guessed from my abilities and my training, I ended up as a soldier in an army before I ever came here, a strategist to be exact. Myrkr was the leader of that army, with me as one of his seven generals."
"You were a general?" Serphia asked, stunned at his revelation. Oliver could only guess why, given he never spoke of his past so openly, but something about that fight seemed to have brought back a piece of him. "That does explain why you could fight toe to toe with the princess."
"So you heard about that? Figures..." Oliver spoke as he leaned back, his gaze up at the ceiling now as he smirked. "I think I have to thank your princess, actually, she made me feel like I did before the war I fought in turned everything to shit..."
"Besides that, what rank were you in that army?" Serphia asked, Oliver looking over to her as he saw her interest in the new revelations sparking in her eyes. "And what's the war you're talking about?"
"My rank never exactly mattered, given I had as much power over the forces as Myrkr did, so you could say that I was a co leader." Oliver spoke as he leaned forward, readying for a tale. "The war, however, was a civil war of my country that split between those who were corrupt and those who were for the belief's of others such as Myrkr. This war was known as the War of Darkness, a form of play on words given Myrkr's abilities."
"Abilities? You mean he was a magic user?" Sylpia asked, her voice showing a genuine interest as she was cutting up her slice of the danger beast, making Oliver smirk as he thought through it.
"I suppose it could be alike to magic, but it's not the same." Oliver spoke as he sat down, pulling his dagger off from his belt before setting it down in front of him, pointing to a small part of the hilt that was shaded, making them look at it in wonder as they noticed the hilt's texture seeming to move on it's own in the shaded area, the rest looking completely different.
"I've never seen your dagger do that..." Serphia spoke as she looked down at it, Oliver only smirking as Sylphia just started eating while listening. "Did he make this?"
"He did. Myrkr held an ability to control darkness in a form that could be considered magic, but it was far more powerful in that it could create anything from darkness, even create darkness itself where he wanted it. The ability is known to those who understand it as Darkness Embodiment." Oliver continued as he set the dagger back down, the two girls looking at the hilt as they listened. "Simply put, it's the ability to use the primal force of darkness in a limitless number of ways, from making a small pebble that's indestructible to a castle that stands above all others, with the possibilities only reaching as far as the user can imagine. He could even have weapons forged in these kinds of flames that were beyond that of mortal weapons, and normally fought alone given his powers were better used in combat of one against many, able to destroy even the largest armies."
"I've never heard of this ability..." Serphia spoke as she looked at the dagger in wonder, looking at how the shaded area practically danced. "You'd think something like that would be known worldwide."
"The country the civil war took place in is far out at sea, unreachable without a guide. The same could be said about making it here." Oliver lied, though it was more of a half lie given the vast darkness could've been considered a sea. "I made it here through sheer luck and managed my way to this city after the war, and Myrkr decided that the best way for it to end was to direct the power to a man he trusted to do the right thing, and to die at their hands."
"So someone that strong died?" Sylphia finally spoke up, making Oliver look to her plate to see a far smaller portion than what she had taken.
"Though it was believed he died, he more than likely faked it since he hadn't lived that much of a life." Oliver responded, picking the dagger up and looking to it. "In fact this was the last item he forged with darkness for me, ensuring it could only be used when I absolutely require it..."
"But enough about the past, we should eat before starting your training." Oliver spoke, snapping their attention from the story as he started eating the leg he had grabbed prior, taking a quick bite before they could whine at him to continue talking about that subject. 'Best to leave it at that for now, no telling what could happen if I reveal too much.' Oliver thought as he chewed the food, soon turning his head to the window facing east, the sun's rays shining through it as he noticed the red glow that could be seen of the floating orb as it peaked it's head over the clouds. 'Red sun at morning, sailors take warning... storm's coming.'
and there we have it all said and done. I feel like I rushed with this one, so if you guys see anything I may have gone into too little detail or too much detail on, feel free to let me know. As always, feel free to R&R and tell me what would be good to improve on it. Till then, I'm off to work on the next chapter!
