₦airaland Forum

Easy4reel:
DOES VAN REALLY KNOWS HOW IT FEELS TO STOP A GOOD DRINK ONLY AFTER TASTING IT??

........NICE 1 THOUGH........
..............RoLlINg WiTh U dIs TyM aRoUnD.......................

Lol, I know how it feels. I simply haven't continued serving the drink because of the lack of comments.

Thanks man, I'll see if I can post the next chapter later today or tomorrow.

Marian17:
Wow, nice story Van. I was just wondering what story to nominate for the Adventure category. This one will do . Come and continue o.

Thanks Marian. I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can.

van how far, una dey try o well me deh gbadun am

Thanks Dammey

...

TiffanyJ:
Waiting for more updates, sir

Aydesmond:
it seems am the only one waiting for vantee to update this thread

Crowny1:
U're not d only one. Am waiting too

Thanks guys. I continued the story because of your comments.

*** *** ***

It was very early in the morning. Malzene D'Aubriere was just leaving his spiritual room when he caught sight of a thin, average height, brown haired chap who looked like he was in his early twenties standing at the doorless mouth of his cave house.

"A good morning to you sir. Is this by any chance the Ruinous cave?" the young chap asked Malzene.

"Certainly, and you are. . ."

"Craig. The Crown Prince's servant."

"You are in the right place. Where is your Liege?"

Craig recounted the tale of what had taken place the previous evening but Malzene was not impressed.

"He should have come all the same," the sorcerer insisted. "The future of the Kingdom is more important than every other thing he has to do."

"The future of the kingdom you say?"

"Verily. The Kingdom is currently in danger of terrible attacks from enemies within and without. I requested a conference with the Prince because I felt he was in the best position to stop the impending dangers, but it's like I was wrong."

"Can the evil be averted?"

"I don't know, the gods have refused to talk to me concerning this. I'm beginning to realise the futility of my anguish. If the gods truly want to destroy Nersea. They cannot be stopped."

"Can't the gods be appeased? There should be a way out," Craig pressed on, not wanting to believe that Nersea was doomed.

"There should be. According to the visions I have seen, everything will happen shortly after the tournament at Austieres and everything will happen so fast that you people will not even understand what is happening."

Craig tried to speak but it seemed his voice had chosen to desert him. He quickly nodded for Malzene to continue.

"Well, I think if the tournament is not held at all, then the impending evil may be prevented."

"You are saying the Kingdom will escape the wrath of the gods if the tournament at Austieres is not held at all?"

"Theoretically yes. I don't know if or not it will work for real. A trial is not a bad thing anyway since that is the only option we've got. You must find a way of returning to the city as soon as possible and to tell the prince who in turn will inform his father. We will see if it works."

"Let me be gone immediately so that I shall reach the citadel as quickly as possible," Craig said.

"You are not going anywhere," A strange voice chipped. "Not alive anyway."

Craig turned to see who had
spoken and saw a big, burly man with shaven head pointing an arrow in his direction. Craig reflexively swallowed a lump of saliva. This is not looking good, he thought.

As if on cue, one of the men lurched at the prince wildly. The Prince reacted quickly by swiftly kicking the sword off his hands and quickly leaping to retrieve it mid-air. On landing, the Prince struck the astonished thug a deadly blow.

Craig watched on in awe as the Prince took over the game from the gangmen and turned it against them. The Prince attacked them so ferociously that in little time, only one of them had not gotten on the battering end of the Prince's sword and that was the eccentric gangleader, who actually smiling throughout the whole encounter.

"It's good to see that you have transformed so quickly from the little boy who was always struggling to get a proper hold of the hilt into a fine swordsman," Yalkan said smugly. "But you still have a lot to learn. A lot."

"Come. Let's see who really need jousting lessons," The Prince replied.

With that, both men stepped towards each other and crossed swords. Craig watched on helplessly as they fought; it was a terrible fight with neither of the fighters seeming to have the upper hand; for one Galleine was unbelievably fast, but Yalkan compensated for his lack of pace by being incredibly strong.

In a moment of wrong decision making, Galleine got his footwork wrong, stumbled and fell. Yalkan promptly pounced on him. Craig grew alarmed, he knew he had to help or this brute will kill the prince.

Craig looked around for a suitable weapon with which to join the fight and he settled for a club used by one of the gangmen. He stealthily walked up to the site of struggle between Yalkan and the Prince. Craig positioned himself, targeted Yalkan's head and struck. WHAM!

Craig stared in horror at the effect of his strike, the log had hit the Prince instead of Yalkan. It seemed the Prince had experienced a fresh burst of energy and had wanted to turn Yakan over, but he had only suceeded in connecting his head with the lumpy end of the log. The Prince immediately went limp.

"Congratulations boy. You have succeeded in bashing your friend's skull," Yakan said caustically as he eased off the unconscious Prince and began to inch towards the shaken servant. "Guess who is next to be floored."

Craig's first impulse was to burst into a blinding speed and escape from this evil man, but his legs did not let him as they turned into jelly and made him fall to the cold hard concrete floor.

Yalkan raised his sword, looking ready to plunge it in Craig's heart. Craig promptly closed and muttered a short prayer, his last prayer. In the next moment, a sound of sword penetrating flesh could be distinctly heard, coupled with that terrible cry of pain that usually accompanies mortal injury.

Craig was momentarily confused. He had seen Yalkan raise his sword and could hear the sound of flesh being penetrated by blood, yet he did not feel penetrated and he could swear on the relics of the saints that the injury cry was not his. Craig slit open his eyes to unravel the mystery and he got a shocker.

Yalkan was still raising his sword in the air, but now a shiny metal covered with blood was protruding from the left part of his chest. He had a dazed look on his face and blood was oozing from the corners of his mouth. Moments later, he collapsed to the floor dead.

"My lord, I'm sorry. I didn't mean. . ." Craig proffered to the Prince, who was looming over the dead body of Yalkan and eyeing it contemptously.

"I know. You didn't mean to strike me," The prince spat. "Apology accepted."

Craig smiled in appreciation. "What now my lord?"

"Well, I have to find a way of clearing this mess and making an official report to the King. That means you will have to continue the journey alone."

Before Craig could open his mouth to protest that he knew next to nothing about journey they were making, Prince Galleine tossed him a rolled up piece of thick brown paper.

"That is a map. Follow the dotted lines, where it ends is where you are going. The place is called the Ruinous Cave. You will meet someone there, take note of everything he says and make sure you return before the end of tomorrow's pre tournament games. Clear?"

"Crystal sir," Craig replied with a nod. Although he felt the opposite.

"Good. Now, be gone."

Craig bowed and left the Prince's presence feeling as miserable as anything.

CHAPTER THREE

Craig briskly climbed the flight of stairs that led to the the third floor of the palace. He was going to see the Prince, who had instructed him to source for some commoner clothing because they were both going into the town coverly to meet someone. Someone that was not Melissa.

Craig got to the Prince's door and pushed it open without as much as a knock. Well, he knew he was one of the few people who could get away with that. He entered the large, impressively decorated room and saw Prince Galleine leaning out through an open window that overlooked the Royale street.

"My lord. Is Melissa down there?" Craig asked his master teasingly.

The Prince turned around and chuckled goodnaturedly. "Of course not. If that were the case, one of us would surely have gone to meet the other."

"What is down there that you were looking at so intently then?"

"Nothing spectacular. I was just looking at the multitude of people milling around the street," the Prince replied. "I was wondering why we have so many people around for the tournament. Do they not know that our colosseum can only accomodate a thousand?"

"I'm sure they know. They are just hoping to be part of the lucky one thousand who will get to watch," Craig offered.

"Maybe so," The Prince reasoned. "Where are the materials I asked you to bring?"

"Here sir," Craig patted the medium sized holdall that was slung over his shoulder.

"Good. Let's change into those wears," The Prince said. "We have to leave now."

Several moments later, Prince Galleine and his servant Craig suceeded in stealing their way out of the heavily guarded citadel. It was by no means an easy task, they had to pass through several secret chambers and tunnels. Even at that, they only barely escaped being caught by the ever watchful sentries.

"My lord, you still haven't told me who we are going to meet," Craig said to the Prince as they left the Royale street in their wake and made for the Levois street.

"Hush. You should no there should be no my lords out here. We are supposed to be commoners just like everybody else," The Prince chided his servant in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

"I'm sorry," Craig muttered his apology and did not bother repeating his initial question. He somehow felt the Prince did not want to answer. Afterall he had asked the same question twice earlier without getting a concrete answer.

Presently, they entered a blind alleyway off the Levois street and they were already making for the South gates road when they heard a thunderous voice ordering them to stop.

"I said stop right there," The terrible sounding voice repeated when there was no response to his initial command.

The Prince stopped, more from surprise than reverence for the voice emanating from the darkness. Craig followed suit.

"Who are you?" The Prince demanded.

"I should be asking you that question," The Voice retorted. "Who are you to enter my territory uninvited?"

"What territory? Everywhere in this kingdom belongs to the King and he is my father."

"Oh my God, It's our Prince," The voice drawled sarcastically. "Now boys, this is your chance to get some royal blood on your swords. Charge!"

Immediately, a torch was lighted and Prince Galleine saw five armed figures inching towards him. He also saw a barrel chested man that looked like he was the leader of the pack. The ruffian was stroking his luxuriant goatee and had a look of grim satisfaction slapped on his face. Galleine recognised him immediately. He was Yalkan, a reknown bandit and the leader of several street gangs.

In a split second, Galleine's grey matter analysed the situation. He was outnumbered and more importantly, outarmed. He had not the smallest weapon on him neither was he protected by the lightest armour. Worse still, Craig was of little or no use in situations like these. If you wanted someone to compose love poems and letters for you, Craig was your man, but in fights and battles, he was more or less a liability.

The gangmen were now closing in, forming a crude circle around the unflinching Prince and his trembling servant. The Prince decided then that patience will be his key. He'll wait for one of them to make a wrong move and he will take over from there.

Damex333: van, how far So u are back, I sensed it.
typical u, old Roman style, I wonder if you haven't lived before this last two centuries.
welcome brother, Where s qan, tell her i missed her.

Thanks bro. Lol. I cannot tell myself if I have existed before.

Oh, I haven't told you? You've been away for too long. My sister is now taken. Don't miss her again o.

Aydesmond: vantee , you know say you na my man, if you update this thing nowwwwwww, enn u go hear weunnn,,, abeg now update am, me don dey gbadun the book go,,,mind you am not a lover of literature sooooooooooooooooooo if u no update this this now......patiently waiting for the update....love your thread

Thanks bro, I humbly apologise for my lateness in updating. I simply got caught in a web of demanding activities that kept me from writing further.

Sir Tremor bowed his head in thought for several moments before he replied. "Since the honour of my birthplace is at stake. I will gladly acquiesce."

"Then we have a deal," Sir Millicent held out his hand.

"Deal!" The other Knight said as he caught his outstretched hand in a grand handshake.

Several moments later, Sir Millicent departed from Sir Tremor's chamber and joined Finn, who was waiting for him covertly in a thicket. They mount their horses and began to gallop back to the citadel.

"You still haven't told me how it went with Tremor," Finn observed as they neared the citadel.

"It went as planned. He agreed to join my side of Knights."

"You know as well as I do that that is not what I want to hear," said Finn.

"What then do you want to hear my friend?" Sir Millicent teased him.

"Did you succeed in enchanting him?"

Sir Millicent giggled. "Of course, I did. I shook his hands with the enchantment ring and that is it. We now control his mind, he will not be able to refuse when we ask him to join us in overthrowing the King."

"Hmm that is excellent," Finn replied in ecstasy. "I have always known you are not half the angel you appear to be. You are so evil," he added laughingly.

"If being evil will make me the King of Casville, my friend, I'll gladly be the devil," Sir Millicent revealed and both men roared with laughter as they rode towards the citadel.

The two other men took a moment to look at their fallen comrades before they charged at their adversary like enraged bulls. Sir Tremor's experienced eyes summed them up for weaknesses and he found one in no time; they were moving too fast. He'ld use that against them.

Sir Tremor side-stepped expertly, making his adversaries rush forward past him. The fiery Knight gave them no time to recover. He struck the one closest to him so hard that he defied gravity for a few seconds before he crash into a tree truck. He fell to the ground a very dazed man.

The fourth man, knowing that he was the only one left, sensed trouble and began to scamper away. Sir Tremor was torn between hurling his sword and giving a chase. After a moment's contemplation, he opted for the latter.

It wasn't a long chase. Sir Tremor caught the fleeing swordsman in little time.He dragged him back to the training ground where his comrades still lay writhing in pain, then he let him have it; a sickening blow to the jaw. The man yelled and doubled over in pain.

"This is pathetic," Sir Tremor addressed the fallen swordsmen. "None of you could even strike a meaningful blow. Is it that you were holding back because of who I am or you are just plain useless?"

"No, you were just too good for them," A strange voice chipped in.

Sir Tremor turned to see who had spoken and saw a tall, lithe man with golden blonde hair dressed in an all black royal apparel approaching.

"Er. . . Sir Millicent," Sir Tremor muttered in genuine surprise. "What adventure brings you here?"

"I came to discuss an important matter with you."

"Very well. Let's go to my
chamber."

"Fine," Sir Millicent agreed, then as an afterthought, he asked. "Who are these people?"

"They are professional swordsmen I hired to train with for the upcoming tournament, but it turns out they are not worth the Ciblis I paid for them."

Ciblis was the collective name for the golden Daris, silverine Dinaris and the bronzen Dadinaris spent in Casville and the Nersean empire at large.

"I see."

The two Knights walked through the winding, narrow path that led to Sir Tremor's chamber from the training ground without speaking to each other. Somehow, it seemed strange having this duo together without having some other person as a buffer between them.

Yes they both belong to the same order of Knighthood, but they were not exactly friends. They were more of rivals. Every now and then people debated on who the better knight was between them, but a concensus was never reached. The two knights were more or less on the same wavelength, although Sir Millicent's unearthly handsomeness and his kinship with the King seemed to earn him a lot more goodwill from the people.

Presently, they arrived at Sir's chamber. Sir Millicent was the first to speak.

"I can see you are impatient to hear me out, therefore I will waste no time and will state my mission at once. I came to beg your in the spirit of our shared brotherhood as knights of this land to join my side of Knights at the upcoming tournament."

For a split second, Sir Tremor was overwhelmed by sheer incredulity. He just couldn't believe his ears. Both Knights have never fought on the same side during any tournament before. Certainly, Sir Millicent's request was of the highest degree of oddness.

"Why?" he managed to ask.

"Well, I recently perused a listing of the names of warriors that will be representing Austieres in the tournament and I saw that they have a lot of mighty men on their side, perhaps a lot more than we have and I felt that if you competed on a side different ours, our chances of winning will become quite limited. You know the tournament is being held in the honour of a Casvillean, it will not be pleasant if we do not win it."

.

Atakitisam: waiting 4 d next update.......following

Update coming soon. Thanks for following sir.

TiffanyJ: I'm a lover of adventure and won't let this one pass me by. I'm a humble follower of this thread.

Welcome on board ma'am.

LarrySun: Okay, nice update. Impressive writing style. And as usual, you've got a brilliant sense of description.

To extract from Dicken's classic:

"Please, sir, I want some more."

Thanks for the encouraging comment sir. You'll definitely get more of the story.

LarrySun: Okay, thanks bro. I didn't know. Off to read. By the way, what genre are you writing this time? Still humour?

More of fantasy and adventure.

LarrySun: Guys are waiting.

Waiting for an update you mean? I have just updated. You probably haven't seen it. Kindly use the go up button sir.

Or do you mean something else?

Divepen: finish dz before you go

I'll try.

texanomaly: You are simply a mystery man.

Maybe I am .