Hey Yo! NerdRyuu back for the third chapter of Udan's Legends! And I am really glad I'm here, because for the past weeks I was VERY sick and I could have died actually, but I'm good now and ready to continue writing for you!
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own The Loud House
As the sun rose with the dawn of a new day, Lincoln, Clyde and Lynn were riding spiritual horses that Lincoln had summoned for the three to ride on their way to Yound's capital.
Lincoln wore his usual tunic, with his satchel bag along his side, Lynn also used her silver armor with red cloth under. But Clyde was wearing a nice tight leather scout suit used by hunters. He also had a nice hat with a blue feather, that matched the blue tinted lenses of his little glasses shaped like a half moon.
"Clyde, tell me again why are you wearing that ridiculous hat?" Lynn asked confused.
"I want to look nice to Yound's Jarl, to give a nice first impression. I need negotiate with him about a alliance after all." He explained.
"I just hope you can reason with that murderer." Lynn spoke with a high amount of venom in her tone.
"Lynn, I know that he must have a good explanation for the siege of Mireworth." Lincoln said with a hopeful tone.
"A good explanation to try to invade our beloved Mireworth, murder dozens of innocents, soldiers, not mentioning your own father." She pointed to Lincoln. "And your grandfather!" She pointed to Clyde.
"That's exactly why I want a good explanation." Lincoln said simply.
Soon, the three saw in the distance, a Yound's village. Shocked at what they saw. The decrepit village was still fuming from a recent attack. Roofs destroyed, burnt houses, crops ruined.
The three could feel the dread and sorrow in the air, as they also could hear a faint cry in the distance when they approached riding their horses.
"What happened here?" Clyde said in disbelief.
"Dragon attack." Lincoln said with sorrow. They trotted up the village in silence, they passed across a old villager sitting on the ground, he had a nasty burn on his leg. He was moaning in pain.
Lincoln pursed his lips when he saw the man, and jumped down the spiritual horse, snapping his fingers to make the horse disappear with a unsummon spell. He kneeled down near the man.
"Here, let me help you." Lincoln spoke, the man looked him but said nothing. The young wizard looked at the burn on his leg and made a deep breath. He gently put his hand on it. The man cried in pain. "Sorry, it'll hurt a little." Lincoln made another deep breath and started a steady and continuous breathing technique.
That technique was to create a flow of flow of mana, that he would use it to make the healing spell. Lincoln's palm started to glow as the spell started.
The man gasped in pain, more experienced wizards could make the process painless, however Lincoln still didn't had the skill.
Clyde and Lynn jumped down the horses and observed their friend helping the poor man.
The healing took minutes, but when it ended, the man was breathing heavily, shadows of the pain he was feeling still could be felt on his leg, however they soon disappeared.
"Are you feeling better?" Lincoln asked finally. The man nodded frantically.
"Y-yes. Thank you." He said, Lincoln got up on his feet with a smile.
Lincoln looked around to the destroyed village. "There's other people that need my help?" Lincoln asked.
"I think so." The man said slowly getting back on his feet.
"HEY!" SOMEONE NEEDS MEDICAL AID?" Lynn shouted suddenly, startling Clyde and Lincoln.
"HERE!" They heard shouting in the other side of the village. The trio ran there, and found a group of injured people, laying side by side. Just a single young woman was attending them, bandaging and cleaning the wounds. "Are you here to help?" She asked. Lincoln nodded.
"I'll help you while help doesn't come." He spoke kneeling down by the side of the woman. The woman scoffed.
"Help? No one is coming." She said annoyed.
"How come? The Jarl won't send help here?" Lynn asked confused.
"The Jarl abandoned us." The woman said. "The soldiers come here just once every two weeks to collect tax and our hard labor. But just that."
"I can't believe it!" Lynn said outraged.
"You better believe girl." The woman spoke. "When the dragon attacked, we could only try to survive. We got lucky the dragon just decided to leave before destroying the entire village." She explained.
"A dragon also attacked here." Lincoln spoke, healing a young man.
"We really need to make this alliance." Clyde spoke, helping the woman bandaging a old lady.
"Alliance?" The woman repeated.
"Yes. See, I'm the son of Eriol's Jarl and me and my friends here are going to the capital to negotiate a alliance between Yound and Eriol." Clyde spoke.
"Don't be a foul, the Jarl is a stubborn bastard. Just thinks about enriching himself." A old man spoke up as Lincoln healed his burnt back.
"Sr. Seymour, don't say that." The woman said.
"Oh come on Theresa! The Jarl is completely senile! He was already the Jarl when I was a young boy! He's getting crazy with age!" Seymour argued.
"This must be the reason he ordered the siege of Mireworth" Lincoln spoke up as he turned to heal another man.
"Oh, nobody knows why the Jarl ordered such a suicidal attack on Mireworth." Seymour spoke.
"So even people from Yound are mad because that?" Lynn, Theresa nodded.
"It was a mad decision, truly a suicidal mission. He ordered the army to raid Mireworth out of nowhere and hours later, ordered them to retrieve. The attack just served to lose men." Seymour continued.
"What he had in mind?" Theresa spoke. "He even lost his son in the attack." Clyde looked at Theresa.
"Excuse, you mean the son of the Jarl? Next in line for Jarl?" He questioned. Theresa sighed.
"May lady Melanie protect his soul. Timillous Youndfaith X. He was such a kind man." She said.
"He was our hope for a good Jarl in the future, but that dreadful siege took that from us." Seymour spoke with sad sigh.
"Melanie?" Lynn questioned.
"The goddess of responsibility and leadership." Lincoln explained. "You worship her here in Yound, right?" The young wizard asked Theresa, who nodded.
"Now our last hope is his granddaughter to be a good Jarl like her father would be when the Jarl finally passes." Theresa added.
"Bah." Seymour grunted. "With our luck, it's capable that he'll outlasts even her!" He said grumpily.
After that, the conversation died down, Lincoln healed all the more serious injuries of the people, while Theresa insisted that others just needed some bandaging, despite Lincoln's offerings to heal everyone fully.
"You don't need to worry that much boy." Theresa said to Lincoln finally. "You and your friends still have to get to the capital as soon as possible. Your friend there…" She looked at Clyde, who was clumsily trying to bandage the arm of a woman while she yelled at him how he was doing it the wrong way. "Maybe he won't be able to convince the Jarl, but hopefully, his granddaughter will be more open minded."
Lincoln smiled and looked up to the sky, so much time has passed since they stopped to help these pour people, it was almost noon, and Lincoln suddenly remembered that he, along with Clyde and Lynn, didn't ate anything since dawn.
Noticing Lincoln looking at the sun, Theresa had a idea to thank these three foreigners that decided to help that humble village.
"You three… want to eat lunch in my home? We… don't have much, since the dragon, well, destroyed the great majority of our food supplies, but… it's everything I can do to thank you." She offered.
Lincoln looked at Theresa surprised, Lynn and Clyde also looked at her. Lincoln made a gentle smile and shaked his head.
"Thank you but, you need the food more than us. You may think you don't have anything else you can do to thank us, but, in fact, you have." Lincoln spoke, pointing to the injured people that Lincoln had healed and those Lynn, Clyde and Theresa had also bandaged, that now rested peacefully. Even Seymour has fallen asleep on the pile of hay that he sat. "Don't let these people's hope for a good future go out. Although your present seems bleak, things will get better. I promise."
Theresa's heart filled with a warm feeling upon the words of that young man. She couldn't help but admire how, even so young, he spoke like a wise old man. Not only that, just the feeling that he emanated was heartwarming in that moment. A feeling of reassurance. She could feel in her soul that what he said was true.
Who was that boy?
Half a hour later, the trio was back on horses that Lincoln conjured for them, saying goodbye to the people of the village.
"When I establish a alliance between Yound and Eriol, I'll make sure that you guys receive supplies from us." Clyde Seymour. "No, even if I fail, I will give you supplies for the rebuild of the village and food. Even if I have to bring it myself!"
Seymour laughed. "Don't be so dramatic kid, we'll appreciate a help, but don't lose your sleep with us." He said rubbing his wooden cane. Clyde simply nodded with a smile.
And with that, the three restarted their journey to Yound's capital, Youndorf.
"So, Lynn." Lincoln spoke to his friend, who just grunted to acknowledge him. "Do you have a new perspective upon Eriol's rivalry with Yound?" He asked smugly.
"About the people yes." Lynn spoke dryly. "They're just like Eriol's. Hble people that work hard for their Jarl." Lincoln smiled at her statement. "However, my opinion on the Jarl and his actions, not only ordering the siege, but abandoning the villages of his province still didn't changed one bit. In fact, my hatred of this old man just grew after seeing that abandoned village. Jarl Harold would never abandon a village of Eriol." Lincoln sighed. He had to begrudgingly admit that she was ultimately right.
Although they didn't knew Yound's Jarl personally, his actions and decisions alone painted a not so good picture of what to expect from their mission ahead.
"I pray to Maja for a good audience with the Jarl."
It was almost nightfall when they arrived at the gates of the lustrous city of Youndorf. The white walls of the city seemed to never had seem the pains of war. That pissed Lynn off.
They stopped in front of the two towering soldiers that guarded the gates.
"Halt! State your business here!" One of the guards spoke up, holding his spear with both hands.
"I am Clyde McBribe, son of Jarl Harold McBride IV of Eriol." He presented the guard with a letter with the official stamp of Eriol, proving the boy's words. "I am here for a audience with the Jarl." The guards looked at each other, then, one of them entered the gate, leaving the other guard, along with Clyde, Lincoln and Lynn.
The four stood in a awkward silence for some minutes, being interrupted only by the guard whistling.
The gate opened again by a man using a luxurious purple Attire and a moustache that covered his mouth. He looked at the three foreigners and spoke.
"You three that are here for a audience, please, follow me." He said and the trio nodded, but he then raised his hand. "Wait, before entering the city, you need to leave your horses in the stable. The entrance of horses is prohibited from Youndorf."
"Don't need." Lincoln said as he, Lynn and Clyde got down the spiritual horses. He snapped his fingers and the horses vanished in a purple light.
"Holy! Where'd they went?" He asked confused.
"Those were spiritual horses that I summoned for us." Lincoln explained. "I just unsummoned them." The man nodded, however in his face, they could clearly see the confusion in his face still.
"Okay… since that was sorted out… come in." He motioned for the trio, that passed through the gates and the guard closed the gate behind them.
Youndorf was truly a luxurious city. Every building, although old in architecture, shined and looked as pristine as the day they were built. The main road was made of white and baby blue tiles, perfectly aligned in a single blue stipe in the center of the path.
"Holy Thania, this place is fancy." Lynn said as they walked down the path. She used her fingers to comb her hair, subconsciously trying to look better.
"First time in Youndorf?" The mustached man asked Lynn.
"As a proud soldier of the Eriol army, I don't really care about Yound in general." That was a lie. Lynn just knew that badmouthing Yound in their capital wouldn't help in their audience.
"Oh. I see." The mustached man said. "Here." He made a sharp left turn, on a steep hill, where a white and blue staircase led to a magnificent mansion painted in a baby blue coat of paint in the top of said hill. Above all other constructions, looking down upon them all.
The trio climbed the staircase, being guided by the mustached man until they arrived by the main doors of the mansion.
The mustached pushed the doors open, and they entered the mansion.
It was as luxurious inside as it was outside, with white pillars adorning the entrance hall, where the Jarl's throne stood in three step on the opposite side of the entrance.
"The Jarl is already ready for your audience." The mustached man said with a bow and stepped aside on the entrance.
The trio shared quick glances as they looked at the end of the hall. Where the Jarl, along with a tall, black haired woman on his side, looked down at them.
Clyde gulped and started walking up to the Jarl.
The Jarl was a amazingly old man, with a white beard And hair that touched his knees. His balding head made the golden circlet he wore pop even more. He had wrinkles atop of wrinkles, to the point that his skin looked detached from his bony skull. He looked at the trio with half open eyes that looked sad just to be there.
"Is that Yound's Jarl?" Lynn whispered to Lincoln, who just nodded. "He looks…
"You three are before Jarl Timillous Youndfaith IX of Yound!" The black haired woman announced. She looked down at the trio with her purple eyes. "I am the Jarl's assistant and counselor, Morgan Springley. State your business." Morgan spoke.
Clyde stepped forward, cleaning his throat. "I am Clyde McBribe! Son of Jarl Harold McBride IV of Eriol! I-" Before Clyde could continue, Morgan spoke up.
"Excuse me, what the next in line to be Eriol's Jarl is doing here on Yound?" She spoke with a hint of disgust in her tone.
"Well... Due the recent unusual incidents happening around Uda-"
"Ridiculous! Nothing of unusual is happening! You are here to feed us false news!" She spoke with venom in her tongue.
"Wait! No, it's true! A dragon attacked not only a village of our province, but also attacked one of Yound's!" Clyde tried to explain.
"Oh, now you're just being stupid if you want us to believe that a dragon attacked Yound! If a dragon attacked a village under Youndorf's patronage, we would already know!" Just as she said that, a young man hearing baby blue entered the hall and ran up to the throne.
"My Jarl! I have news from Shinemoor Village!" said the messenger. "A dragon attacked and destroyed the village!" Morgan stood in silence, looking at the messenger. Just then the Jarl moved for the first time since they arrived. Making a subtle have of his hand, dismissing the messenger.
"The Jarl dismisses you messenger." Morgan spoke. The messenger bowled again and leaved. Morgan sighed and turned to Clyde again. "Be quick with your words! The Jarl doesn't like prolonged audiences."
"I am here, along with my closest confidents, on behalf of my father. I propose a alliance between Yound and Eriol for mutual benefits for both provinces, together, we'll have better odds to prepare for another dangers shall they arise." Clyde spoke with confidence, but Morgan just burst in laughter.
"Ohohohohoho! You are so naive if you think that you can come here in our city and impose a alliance that absolutely won't benefit neither party!"
"But-" Clyde tried to interject but Morgan once more interrupted him.
"But nothing! This discussion is finished! Now be gone or I'll order the guards to put you on prison!" She shouted.
"Stop right there Springley!" They heard someone coming from behind them. When they turned back, they came face to face with a young woman, not much older than them. She was blonde and wore a fine baby blue dress with golden details. Her eyes were uncannily blue.
Clyde's jaw dropped when he saw the woman. He was mesmerized by how beautiful she was. Lynn rolled her eyes and closed his jaw before he drooled.
"You can't speak for my grandfather for a matter like this!" The young Woman said sternly. "You may be his counselor, but you don't have the authority to do so!"
"Miss Lori." Morgan said, faking a gentle smile that was so false that Lincoln only could theorize that Morgan's facade was just a formality that the made every time they met. "I don't understand why you insist in get involved with official duties! Shaw I remind you that you also doesn't have any authority over this?"
"As the next in line for the title of Jarl, it is my duty to keep up with what happens in the province! Besides, I'm tired of you playing Jarl under the nose of my grandfather! He's literally right here and you still have the nerves to do it!" Lori spat angrily. "And also, refusing a alliance proposal without any semblance of thought just screams how you are completely amateur as a competent leader!" Morgan pursed her lips angrily then looked at the Jarl, that remained silent for the whole discussion.
But then, finally the Jarl opened his lips and a low raspy voice came from the man's throat. He barely moved his lips, and seemed to have difficulty to speak.
"I'll… Think… About… It…"
"Pop-Pop…" Lori muttered as he resumed his blank silence. Seeing her beloved grandfather in such fragile state was heartbreaking, he was the only family that the blonde still had. Her grandfather was too old to be on the throne but was still there, fulfilling his duty as Jarl. Maybe if her father didn't had died on the siege, the grandfather could have retired a long time ago.
She is the next in line to he the Jarl. Since a young age, Lori felt the responsibility that laid on her future, but she knew that Melanie would look after her when the day came.
"This audience has come to a ending." Morgan spoke again. "Soon, you'll receive a message with the Jarl's response. Now, I order you to get out of Youndorf's manor. If you want to stay on Yound, rent a room or something. You three aren't welcome here!" Morgan spoke.
"On the contrary!" Lori interjected, walking in front of Lincoln, Lynn and Clyde. "They are my guests!" Morgan's lip shaked in contempt.
"Very Well. Miss Lori." Morgan with her fake smile. She dragged the last two words in despise. Lori smirked.
"Carol!" Lori shouted, calling for her maiden. Soon enough, a woman, roughly the same age as Lori, appeared from behind a doorway and walked up to Lori with her hands holding each other. With bright yellow hair and a purple dress, her face was like a younger and prettier version of Morgan's. So close that the trio instantly realized that she and Morgan were related.
"Yes Miss Lori." Carol spoke politely, making a small reverence to Lori.
"Please, prepare two rooms for our guests here, for tonight." Carol nodded.
"Yes Miss Lori. Excuse me." She turned around and returned from the door she appeared.
"You three, come with me." Lori called the trio to follow her. Lincoln took a long last look at the Jarl and to Morgan, who scowled to him, before he turned and followed them.
Lori conducted them to the third floor of the mansion, to her room. As the trio entered they saw the luxurious bed with sky blue sheets, a very beautiful tapestry in the wall depicting Lori herself with her grandfather and a third blonde man with a full beard.
"Nice place you have here." Clyde complimented as Lori closed her door. "Is that your father?" He questioned, looking at the man in the tapestry.
"Yes." Lori said plainly before she sighed and turned to the trio. "Now that we are away from Springley, tell me, who are you three?"
"I." Clyde spoke with a confident smile, stepping forward. "Am Clyde McBribe, son of-"
"Yeah, yeah, son of Jarl Harold McBride IV of Eriol." Lori interrupted Clyde, rolling her eyes. "That part I got. I mean you two!" She pointed to Lincoln and Lynn.
"We're his bodyguards really." Lynn said leaning against the dresser. "I am Lynn Griffinheart. Knight. He's Lincoln Snowtop." The boy made a reverence.
"Junior wizard milady." He spoke. Lori lifted a eyebrow.
"Aren't you too young for a wizard?" She asked.
"I received the official title of wizard very recently. Although my master said that I learn things awful fast…" He trailed off looking at the tapestry. He kept silent for a second before he spoke again. "Sorry what were we talking about again?"
"Forget." Lori said rolling her eyes again. "You three are here really to make a alliance?" She asked. Clyde nodded.
"Several unusual incidents are happening around Udan. The small village of Royal Wood in Eriol and Shinemoor Village from Yound got attacked by dragons." He explained.
"I was there." Lincoln said. "I live on Royal Wood. Seeing the village I love being destroyed in the hellish flames of a confused dragon… I thank Maja that I was able to scare him off… but Shinemoor wasn't so lucky." Clyde and Lynn lowered their heads.
"We need to ensure protection to our provinces if another dragon gets too far from their mountain range again. And a alliance between the provinces for mutual protection will make it easier for surveillance and resource management." Clyde elaborated further.
"Hold on a minute there." Lori said as soon as Clyde finished speaking. "Before what you proposed." She spoke to Clyde. "You scared a dragon off?" Lori questioned Lincoln shocked, who simply nodded. "Seriously?" Lincoln nodded again. "…Okay."
"So… about the proposal?" Clyde asked with a hopeful smile. Lori sighed again and shaked her head.
"It is indeed a soundly idea." Lori spoke crossing her hands. "However… It isn't my decision to make in the end." Clyde smile deflated. "It's my grandfather's. And… In the recent years… he got very debilitated. And… Well, his assistant Morgan, is the one in command. She says that she only speaks for him, but, it's been literally years since I saw him making the big decisions." Lori sighed again. "And Morgan doesn't like to cooperate."
"I see." Clyde said rubbing his forehead. They had to think. Although the alliance isn't really that crucial for the protection of their provinces, but the alliance would benefit the provinces greatly, and he also had promised the villagers that he would help to rebuild Shinemoor.
"Is there a sage of Windholm in the court?" Lincoln asked, grabbing the attention of Lori and Clyde. Lori nodded.
"Yes, but Lady Cass is rarely seen outside her study nowadays. What's weird, she used to be very involved in the court." Lincoln put his hand on his chin, looking down.
"Would you accept the offer?" Lynn asked, breaking her silence. Lori nodded.
"When Pop-Pop passes away, I'll assume as the Jarl. My duty as Jarl is to be and do the best for my people. And I know from the bottom of my heart that Lady Melanie blessed me to be the best leader one can be."
"Lori…" Lincoln finally spoke under his breath, before cleaning his throat and continuing. "Miss Youndfaith Do you realize that your grandfather is dead, right?"
"WHAT?" Clyde and Lori shouted in both shock and surprise.
"What do you mean? This is crazy!" Lori said.
"She is right Linc! We saw him alive, he moved, he spoke!" Clyde added.
"I observed him closely. Didn't you noticed that he didn't breathed?" Lincoln explained.
"I noticed." Lynn spoke up finally. "He didn't breathed the whole time we were there. Not only that, but he also didn't blinked, and… come on, he looked like a skeleton with skin over it!"
"I… I never noticed that…" Lori said looking at the floor trying to muster the proper words. "But… how… what is going on then?"
"One of the banned schools of magic. Reanimation..." Lincoln pursed his lips. "Someone with great expertise in magic is controlling the barely reanimated body of the Jarl."
The atmosphere in the room became tense at that realization. The school of Reanimation was banned by the Sages of Windholm and most provinces outlawed it's practice. It was unnatural, a defiance over the will of the goddesses and a school of magic that feel could tap their toes into.
"The Sage." Lynn said finally. "You said she barely got out of her study."
"No." Lincoln said defiantly. "A Sage of Windholm would never do something like that! It have to be another answer… Maybe Morgan?" Lincoln suggested.
"I don't believe Morgan is a witch, she's not a good person by any means, but if she was a witch… I would know. Carol would tell me." Lori explained.
"Carol? That girl you ordered to prepare rooms for us?" Lynn questioned. Lori nodded.
"I know Carol since I was a little girl. She's my best friend for life, She's Morgan's daughter, and when we do a girl's night, she literally just complains about her mother like there's no end, if she was a traitor, Carol would tell me!" Lynn sighed. Even if she was older than them, Lori was so naive.
It was what Lynn thought, however Lincoln noticed in her tone something more than just naivety from the older girl. She was so certain from her words that Lincoln felt it had something else Lori wasn't telling them.
This worsened the situation. Lincoln didn't wanted to believe that a Sage of Windholm was a traitor from their court. Practicing reanimation, was one of the worst things a Sage could do. It was completely against their code. Not just their code. It's dishonorable. Even Neckros, the goddess of life and death was against the tempering of one's body.
Lincoln deeply thanked that they weren't dealing with necromancy. Marlin taught Lincoln that Reanimation and Necromancy were different things. In the past, Reanimation was school or animating what once was dead. Bringing the body for the service of the master, but necromancy was something completely different. Necromancy isn't even classified as a school of magic, it's the dark search for life beyond death. Bring a person's soul back. It was never successfully accomplished, and the results of experimentation with the soul were the most grotesque that magic could create.
The boy wondered if Marlin should really have discussed all that to him at the age he did. The thoughts of necromancy and the evil implications it had haunted the kid's dreams for a long time after that.
Lincoln sighed finally.
"In any matter of way Miss Youndfaith, I assure you that I'll help you. Don't matter the cost." Lori rolled her eyes a little.
"Don't need to start getting this emotional twerp. You're still just a diplomat from another region. You already gave me the heads-up, you could just stay aside while I deal with this myself."
Lincoln's response was cut short when heavy knocks on Lori's door caught them by surprise.
Lori walked up to the door and when she opened, she faced three towering soldiers with rusty metal armor with the sigil of Yound.
"Guards?" Lori spoke.
"Lady Lori. You and your allies are arrested for treason!" The front guard shouted with his booming voice.
Lori's eyes widened, Lynn grabbed the hilt of her sword and Lincoln gulped.
N/A: And with this, we finish this chapter! here we meet this iteration of Lori!
Aside from that, I don't really have much to add, next chapter has more things have to say, but this one not really.
If you have something to say, wants to ask something or has a question, feel free to do so, every feedback is appreciated.
until next time, be good.
Bye.