forum Fantasy RP with @Serpentess | Stalkers Encouraged

Started January 04, 2022 by @The-Dyonisia group

tune

Ngl, the best world I've ever built. Mostly thanks to @Serpentess

Kingdom of Valdurnia Regions and Locations:

Zai'lethria: Coastal region of Valdurnia, with the second highest population in the kingdom (The first being in Baevul). Known for being the base of trade relations, and the naval military.

• Ferquion City: While not the capital of Valdurnia, is the most crowded city, given that it is a port city, and a prominent military city, as it contains the largest navy port in Zai'Lethria. It is also the biggest religious city (Besides Goiathori city), as it is the home of the Priestess of the gods.
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Baevul: Wetland lake region of Valdurnia, contains the highest population in the kingdom. Known for their political affairs and their agricultural prowess. Very prominent tourist region. Surprisingly the least religious of all the regions.

• Nechovak city: Capital of Valdurnia, home of the Queen and her political regents. Each regent comes from a different region in Valdurnia. Popular tourist city, full of historical locations, memorials and museums, as well as expansive and rich supermarkets and entertainment groups.
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Kraedūza Mountains: Mountains to the west of Baevul. Cities and villages spot the mountain, unlike their eastern counterpart, which is relatively empty. Many say that the gods placed hidden secrets within the mountains. They say that these secrets are somehow linked to the strange happenings on Savidange peak.

• Savidange Peak: Strange occurrences have been spotted by folk around this peak. Strange monster sightings, disappearances, water flowing upstream, and even stranger things. One person even said they heard voices coming from within the mountain. People tend to avoid it.
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Enrithi Forest: Large and dense forest to the north of the Kraedūza mountains. There are many villages within the woods, though very few big cities. The second least populous region in Valdurnia (The first being the Addakain mountains) due to fear of the Forest of Shades and high criminality rates.

• Tralobar mountain: Mountain within Enrithi Forest. The only big city in the forest is found on its peak. Though it is the only city within the forest, people tend to avoid it due to it's very high crime rates. They especially take badly towards outsiders.
• Forest of Shades: Not many people enter this forest, and less of them leave. Known for the ghost stories about it, it is seen as a bad omen to even go near it, but many say that if you reach the center, there is an oracle that will recount to you your fate and bring good fortune upon you. People only enter if they are desperate… but they rarely exit.
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Sanrokh desert: Large desert beyond the forest and mountains, it contains many big bustling cities, where trade is mainly based on metals and ores. It is also known for being home to the Cult of the Jekrēal. Though people rarely travel there, the citizens are relatively open to strangers (though they will often scam you).

• Goiathori city: City where the cult resides. Much remains unknown of them, they don't even appear on maps, and people avoid the city and that surrounding area at all costs. It's better not to even talk about it. You might get jumped for even mentioning it.
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Addakain Mountains: Barren mountains to the East of Baevul. Nobody knows it yet, but the peak of these mountains is where the Cult of Jekrēal has been working all this time to bring Jekrēal (Big bad) back to life.

• Ko'al peak: Where Jekrēal will be revived, and where the final battle for the fate of Valdurnia will take place.
  
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  Gods of Valdurnia:

Korvonyin: God of the Waters. He is most often depicted as a blue and black sea serpent, but in his humanoid form he is a 6’ tall blue-skinned, black-eyed man with finned elbows, gills on his neck, and shark teeth in his mouth, wearing a waterlogged blue tunic.
—He has an unpredictable temper and is shrewd, but peaceful when calm. He cares for all aquatic creatures, and is said to live in the deepest underwater caves of Baevul.
—Most prominent deity in Zai’lethria and Baevul, considered the patron of trade. Sort of has a CN-CG alignment, depending on his mood. His symbol is a rising wave with a rune drawn inside.

Alokyr: Deity of the Earth. They are sometimes depicted as an enormous mole-like creature or a regal gold dragon with emerald green eyes. His humanoid form is a 7’ tall androgynous humanoid with grey scales, emerald green eyes, and short brown hair, wearing a loose robe of earthy colors.
—They are even-tempered and wise, often considered the elder of the pantheon. They care for all terrestrial creatures, both above and below ground, and is said to be nomadic, traveling deep in the earth. Earthquakes are often associated with his movements.
—Patron of most knight orders. Definitely a N alignment. Their symbol is a mountain with the sun at its peak.

Voshorae: Goddess of the Air. Typically depicted as an air elemental or a light blue/white lung dragon with grey eyes. Her humanoid form is a lithe, 6’ tall, grey-skinned, blue-eyed woman with white angelic wings that wears a variety of loose flowing clothes.
—She is flighty, arrogant, and a troublemaker. She cares for all airborne creatures, and is said to constantly patrol the skies.
—Sometimes considered to be the ruler of criminals. A sort of CN-CE alignment. Her symbol is a flying bird covered with swirl-shaped runes.

Avershain: Deity of the Beyond. It’s often depicted as a shapeshifting eldritch being. Its humanoid form varies from 6’-8’ tall, with a featureless body made of an amorphous black substance.
—It is callous and uncaring, but intellectual and observant. It cares for all creatures that exist beyond the known world, and is often considered to linger in the mountains (both Kraedūza and Addakain), though the vast Sanrokh Desert is sometimes considered a haven for it.
—Considered the creator of all mysteries and otherworldly beings. N-NE alignment. Its symbol is a black doorway with smoke coming out of it.

Jekrēal: Demon of Chaos and torture. Almost never depicted due to overwhelming fear, and almost never spoken of. When depicted, they are seen as a two headed dog, often ripping a human in half, or holding the head and the hand of a human in each mouth. In humanoid form they are 8' tall, generally masculine presenting, but with breasts, with three sets of muscular arms, two human hands covering their nipples, and a belt of human hands covering their crotch.
—They are unhinged and insane and consider destruction a hilarious passtime. They never consider human beings worth much, except as playthings. Considered to dwell in a different realm, far below the world, to an extent where people don't even consider it the underworld, but something much worse.
—Considered to be the creator of all suffering, and was locked in their realm as punishment. CE alignment all the way. It's symbol is a severed hand with an x through it.

Tsuniak had been hard at work training his sword fighting skills with his subordinate that afternoon when he heard the news. He was about to deal a finishing blow for the third time on the poor guy, when he heard one of the squires at the camp yell out "The Cult of Jekrēal attacked the castle at the Capital city 2 nights ago!" the entire camp all of a sudden seemed to erupt in confusion, but the message was not finished just yet "All knights are being called to the church! The priestess will be holding a ceremony for the gods to choose a knight to go with her on a quest to find a way to stop the Cult soon!" the uproar amongst the knights seemed to rise even more as they heard the following piece of news. It was a lot to take in in one sitting, but it had been what Tsuniak had been praying to the gods for day and knight. It was an opportunity. He began to rush out of the camp along with all the other knights, when he bumped into his father. The captain of the Valdurian navy. "You, son, will not be leaving. You can go once you've finished your training." he spoke sternly. " Not that you would be chosen anyways. You must attend to your own duties before the gods will allow you to attend theirs." this he said in a more condescending tone. Tsuniak's face went red, but he knew he could do nothing against it. At the moment. So he replied a reluctant "Yes father." and he turned back to the now nearly barren training fields. He would make it in time for that ceremony if it was the last thing he did.

Talminia kneeled in her chambers, taking long, deep breaths to calm her nerves. She needed a clear mind, a relaxed body, or her concentration would falter.

It took a lot longer than she had hoped to calm down from the shock of the news. Nothing good would come if Jekrēal’s cults were truly stirring. And such a bold move against the castle meant they were confident too.

Talminia took a final deep breath, pushing aside her thoughts, and slipped into a trance, preparing herself for the ceremony. She had never done this sort of ceremony before, and she didn’t want to disappoint the gods.

Minutes into her trance, all four of her rings started to glow. A comforting warmth fell over her, taking Talminia deeper into her trance. She floated in a void of her mind’s making, only barely aware of the world surrounding her. It was tranquil in this void, a sense of oneness with all things enveloping her.

An eternity passed, and Talminia finally emerged from her trance, the warmth from her rings fading. She was almost ready to perform the ceremony. Standing, she headed into her room to change into some proper clothes. She didn’t know how long had passed in her trance, but she could easily ask one of the clergy on her way out.

Once she was ready, Talminia exited her chambers and headed to the main hall of the church. The tranquility from her trance lingered, and she seemed to almost float along, as if the weight of all her mortal concerns had been lifted.

Once his father had left to the entrance of the training camp, Tsuniak tried to think of a way of getting by without him noticing. Maybe a disguise? No, his father knew all of the soldiers at the camp. Lie and say he was done with training? No, his father would definitely ask his higher ups to make sure… He could always make a run for it… but his father was much faster than him… As he was thinking, an elderly woman passed by him with a cart full of clothes, royal tunics for the new guards. Perfect. He smiled to himself as he formed his devious plan.

Once the woman had stopped at one of the tents and entered to give a uniform to a new soldier, Tsuniak took his chance and dove into the pile of tunics and trousers. They were warm from absorbing sunlight, even in the fresh air of the Valdurnian coast. They smelled much better than his own clothes, like freshly burned incense and lavender. He took a deep inhale as the woman came back out of the tent, uniform still in hand. "Seems all the knights have left to visit the priestess. I remember when I used to make the boys flock to me like that…" she seemed to sigh in wistful memory as she tossed the tunic into the pile. That was even better, he had no way of being found like this.

As she pushed the cart to the entrance of the camp, Tsuniak made a peephole for himself in the clothes. He saw as they approached his father, and his heart began to beat a little quicker. Making sure his father couldn't possibly see him, he watched and listened intently "I apologize for the inconvenience Mrs.Taldrik, all our knights seem to have gone to the ceremony." he heard his father say. He seemed almost embarrassed. "I wouldn't worry about it, if it was for the fate of the kingdom, I would do it too!" she smiled at him… Ewww were they flirting? Tsuniak tried not to think about it "Well, see you later in the afternoon I suppose." he smiled back at her. Definitely flirting.

As she shuffled off Tsuniak let out the breath which he seemed to have been holding that whole time. As they grew farther, he waited for the perfect moment to get out. "Hey! Mrs. Taldrik!" a voice called from behind them. He felt a shift behind himself, and he knew Mrs. Taldrik had turned around, so he went for it. Sneaking out incredibly silently and yet swiftly, he made his way to the church. He could feel it in his heart. This was fate.

Talminia steadily walked through the halls of the church. Typically, there would be clergy roaming the halls, talking about various things, showing followers around, and whatever else. Now, these halls were silent, tense with anticipation, as if the church itself knew something major was going on.

She entered the main chamber to see a sizeable crowd had already gathered. That didn’t matter to her. She had grown used to such gatherings.

Talminia headed into the center of the massive chamber, her eyes drifting to the largest of the many stained glass windows above the crowd. It depicted the realms of the gods, the sea, the earth, the sky, and the beyond. A small smile lifted her lips at the depiction, then she turned to the crowd.

“My fellow brothers and sisters, you all know why we are here. So, I will not waste words to describe the level of danger this kingdom is in. The gods have decreed that I must journey with a knight to fend off the cults of Jekrēal. And this ceremony is to determine who that knight will be. Let us begin.”

Talminia kneeled in the center of the chamber, softly praying for guidance. The clergy did likewise off to the side, offering support to Talminia and asking the gods for their choice. Minutes later, Talminia’s rings began to glow like before.

At that moment, Tsuniak burst through the doors, arms and legs spread wildly like he just crawled out of a pit of wild animals "Don't start without me!" he shouted looking around. His eyes landed on a young woman, around his age, kneeling in the center of the chamber of the church. The priestess of course. Her name was Talminia. Everyone in town… heck, everyone in the kingdom knew her as the prodigal speaker of the gods. Tsuniak didn't really buy into the whole religion thing, but if there was even a chance that this was what he was meant to be, he had to take it. He looked at her with wide eyes and tried to fix himself. "I'm uh… sorry. Continue please" He then looked down to focus on her directly. The rings on her hands were glowing. He stared in awe at the spectacle. He'd never seen anything like it, and yet… he felt a strange pull towards it. He felt that the world seemed to stop around him as he held his breath in anticipation.

Talminia’s eyes shot open to glare at the source of the rude interruption. Most of the clergy paused in their prayers to stare in shock.

She continued to glare at him, but something seemed to pull her back into her trance. She barely heard his apology as her eyes flickered until they closed, the rings glowing brighter. The glow seemed to spread onto her hands, then her entire body, making her seem almost ethereal.

A few moments passed and her eyes slowly opened. They glowed like the rest of her. She stood, her hands reaching out to either side of her.

“So many loyal souls, but only one can be chosen,”she breathed, her voice softly echoing.

She walked around the room, weaving through the crowd and appraising those she passed. Occasionally she would pause, but only for a moment before resuming her walk.

Eventually, she neared Tsuniak and her outstretched hand just barely brushed his arm. She froze, sensing a strong pull toward him, much stronger than any of the others.

“You…”

Talminia moved to face him directly.

“You, Tsuniak Oereo, will join me,”she said, her voice soft, the echo lingering.

Her eyes flickered again, the glow of her body fading, then she collapsed.

Tsuniak simply looked at her in shock and astonishment as Talminia came closer and closer to him. He noticed that the ring he kept under his clothes also grew hotter as she approached. He ignored it though, with only the excitement of being chosen filling his mind and heart.

That glimmer of hope he had. His dreams of greatness and fame and glory, all became fulfilled in that one sentence. “You, Tsuniak Oereo, will join me”. His face of awe changed almost immediately into one of ecstatic joy. He looked around and without any hesitation, ignoring the priestess right in front of him, he addressed the crowd "You heard guys! I'm the chosen one!"

He cheered and bragged until even the most patient of the knights was groaning in displeasure "Alright Tsuniak, we get it! Shut up now!" One of them yelled. " You know you're not even that good knight right? You'll definitely die out there" another called out. He just rolled his eyes and finally looked at the priestess "So… what exactly is my job?"

A clergyman had rushed over to check on Talminia while Tsuniak was boasting. She was barely conscious, and clearly exhausted. When Tsuniak finally looked at her, the clergyman gave him a disapproving look before helping Talminia to a sitting position.

The other clergymen announced that the ceremony was finished and calmly ushered the other knights out of the church. They then shut the doors and formed a wide circle around the pair.

Talminia rested against the particular clergyman, a priest by the looks of it, with black hair and jade eyes. It was a long moment before she recovered enough to turn to Tsuniak.

“You… are to help me find… a way to stop Jekrēal’s cult,”she explained drowsily.

The priest helped her stand, encouraging her to get some rest. Talminia acknowledged his words, but didn’t move, wanting to be sure that Tsuniak understood the importance of this quest.

Tsuniak immediately realized the priestess' condition, and he felt pretty bad. He a jerk, but he isn't heartless. Before he could ask if she was okay, the clergymen came to help.

" I apologize for that." he said, though he put little emotion in his voice, making it seem insincere. He looked around at the clergymen, who all looked at him disapprovingly. He hadn't done anything THAT bad. His face also contorted into a grumpy one as retaliation.

Once the priestess began to speak, he paid attention. Though he still didn't know how he felt towards religion or the gods, he knew he had to listen.

She explained what he was meant to do and looked at him expectantly. "Well… yes. I knew that. And I know that's important" he said important meaningfully, and yet the context made it seem like he didn't really understand the depth of the issue. "That was why I came here in the first place. TO be chosen for the cult killing quest. What I'm asking is… what exactly is my role in defeating them? Do I just fight with weapons? Or do I get cool gods' blessings powers like you?"

The priest gave Tsuniak an even fouler look at his seemingly insincere apology, but said nothing as he helped Talminia. The other clergymen noted this, and Tsuniak’s responding scowl. A few of them glared at him.

Talminia listened to Tsuniak, still leaning on the priest. She, unlike the others, seemed surprisingly tolerant of Tsuniak. Though, in truth, she was questioning what the gods had seen in the discourteous peacock, and wondering if some mistake had been made. She wouldn’t argue with the gods, but she definitely didn’t like their choice.

“I do not know what your role will be, nor what gifts you will receive. The future has many paths, and our choices in the present will determine which paths we will travel,”she replied evenly.

Talminia was actually quite pleased with her choice of words. It was polite, but could hold innumerable meanings all at once. But, regardless of that, she was still exhausted.

“Today, we rest and prepare for our journey. If need be, tomorrow will be the same, but I would prefer leaving at dawn. The sooner we can stop this threat, the better,”Talminia added.

She turned to the priest and nodded, and he helped her back to her chambers. The rest of the clergy scattered to do a variety of others things, whether it was simply returning to their duries, or if it was to help gather supplies for the pair’s journey. Two clergy stayed with Tsuniak to escort him to a room they had prepared for the chosen knight.

Tsuniak nodded, trying to show himself to be stoic. He was more of a jerk than stoic though. He listened intently though. He wasn't really sure how any of this would play out. "Right, rest." he nodded in agreement with the Priestess. "Prepare…" he noted. Then he realized that neither he, nor even the priestess knew what would await them on this journey.

"How exactly do I prepare for an unknown path?" Tsuniak wasn't afraid per say. He didn't really fear peril, but he worried that because he knew nothing of this journey, he would fail in his quest to save the world along with aiding the priestess. What if he wasn't strong enough. He tried to shake the thought out of his head, and looked at the priestess expectantly, no longer paying attention to the scowling clergymen.

Talminia sighed, turning back to Tsuniak.

“The others here will help, but pack for a long journey, possibly even into the mountains or desert. I don’t know how long we will be gone, and we may be fortunate to visit settlements on the way, but there will likely be moments where it is just us in the middle of nowhere,”she said.

Talminia didn’t register that last part until she said it, and it honestly scared her a bit. She had never been so far away from civilization before, and she only had rudimentary knowledge of surviving in the wilderness. Hopefully Tsuniak knew more, or they were going to have to learn the hard way.

Talminia then noticed that the priest escorting her, along with the two clergy next to Tsuniak, were patiently for their conversation to end. They understood that this journey was important, and that much was needed to prepare before the two even left. Talminia would miss their patience, their help… everything. Would she ever see them again?

“Tsuniak… I truly do hope you understand the weight of this journey. If we fail… the consequences are too dire to describe,”she said, her voice quiet, almost shaky as she, herself, finally comprehended what they faced.

(Guess who's back? It's me! The asshole who abandoned all their role plays for a month! Nah but for real, I apologize so hard. School is NOT GIVING ME A BREAK. I which I hadn't done the IB program bro)

Tsuniak understood the weight alright. Suddenly, he seemed to feel a little light-headed himself. He didn't like being unsure of things, especially when just a few minutes ago, he had been so sure that this was his destiny. What dawned onto him wasn't fear of the journey though. It was fear of disappointment.

He had held onto his mother's words his whole life. He was destined for great things. Right? Now he wasn't so sure. If he fails the whole world will suffer? He realized, he couldn't handle the weight of that. "I… I understand" Tsuniak said slowly, his tone entirely different than before. Not shaky, just stern, less strong. He didn't even seem confident enough to glare at anybody in the room.

And what of his father? He would be utterly disappointed. He didn't care much of his father, but still, he was the only living person with a close enough relationship to his mother as to remind him of her. Could he even handle leaving?

He found himself staring at the ground. He shook his head of these feelings, returning to his usual confident tone, though noticeably more forced "I'll be taking my leave now priestess. As you said, I've lot's of preparations to make." And he turned to leave the chapel.

(Well, hello again! Happy wave. You’re good. I’ve actually been caught up in my own IRL chaos, including a schedule change. I still try to be on here as frequently as possible, but it’s not consistent, hence why it took me a lot longer than before for me to respond)

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Talminia noticed his reaction to her words, and was a bit relieved that he seemed to be finally comprehending things. Though, she also felt a bit bad, because she had spent years of her life preparing for quests like this, while Tsuniak seemed to be so new to it all.

“I know this is quite a lot to take in. It’s indeed an enormous responsibility to be thrust upon you, even if you seemed rather… enthusiastic about it initially. But, we share this burden, and, together, we will get through this. And, on the bright side, we will have the possibility to explore the entire kingdom in all its beauty,”she said, hoping to soothe him a bit.

She continued to watch him, and was tempted to step closer to him when he started speaking again. She noticed how forced his attitude was, and wondered how much of his demeanor was actually just a mask. Was he, deep down, as discourteous as he acted? Or was it just a defense that had grown out of proportion?

“Alright. I will, obviously, be here. And the clergy will help you with anything you need. All you need to do is ask,”Talminia replied.

She then turned away, looking at the jade-eyed priest lingering at her side. She seemed to think of something then.

“Before you go, I wish to introduce you to Brother Athilkin, one of the priests here. He is like a true brother to me, so if you need to reach me and I am not out in the halls, Athilkin will fetch me,”Talminia said.

The priest, Athilkin, nodded in greeting, though he definitely seemed to dislike Tsuniak. Talminia sighed and gently grabbed Athilkin’s shoulder. A flash of annoyance appeared in his eyes.

“I hope the gods favor you both on your quest. Now, Sister Talminia, you need rest,”he said, barely acknowledging Tsuniak.

Talminia sighed again, then nodded. Althilkin led her toward her rooms. She couldn’t help glancing back as they walked away.

Tsuniak simply nodded at all Talminia said, though he wasn't really listening. He did lighten up when she said they shared the burden, though he wasn't much sure how a priestess, who he assumed had grown up coddled her whole life, would help them survive in the treacherous lands they would enter.

When she introduced the priest, Tsuniak was practically absent, lagging to realize what she has said for a few seconds. After she said it, he nodded in Athilkin's direction in acknowledgement, also acknowledgement his quite obvious disdain for him. No matter though, he just held the same stare he had had before. Glaring "respectfully".

" I too wish the gods' favor upon us." Tsuniak responded softly, a sternness to his voice only noticeable to those who listened intently. Then he walked off, not looking back to acknowledge any of the priests, nor the church itself.

Talminia noticed how absent Tsuniak was, and questioned why. She was glad that he had lightened up slightly, but it still didn’t answer why he had grown so… inattentive.

Her concern became annoyance at how he seemed to react to Athilkin. The priest might not like Tsuniak, but at least he had the respectfulness to actually be present in the moment.

Talminia glanced over at Athilkin, just in time to see a subtle eye roll toward Tsuniak. That wouldn’t help the situation at all.

When Tsuniak spoke, Talminia turned back to him, and picked up on the stern note in his voice. Her eyes narrowed as Tsuniak left. After a moment though, she simply sighed and turned back to Athilkin. The priest was watching her.

“Sister, I do not wish to sound blasphemous, but I don’t see why he was chosen, above all others, to join you,”Athilken commented quietly.

Talminia sighed,”Honestly, nor do I. But, I trust the gods have their reasons.”

Athilkin nodded, leaving it at that. Talminia had enough on her mind already without having to worry about why the gods had decided such a foul-tempered man would accompany her.

(Jesus, I am an A-hole, I've been gone for another month. I'm sosososo sorry, I can't apologize enough, I've just been so busy with school, I can't even find the time for nearly anything anymore, but we're almost done, so I'm almost there. I promise I'll be more active from now on, especially since this is quite literally my favorite and most well planned rp.)

Tsuniak was headed back to the barracks, where he was sure he would be berated not only by his father, but the other soldiers as well. Out of envy but also out of genuine confusion as to why he- of all people- had been chosen. And partially, he was right. As he entered the camp again, all the other soldiers could be found eyeing him intensely, and many murmurs could be heard all around. He even heard the woman from earlier- Mrs. Taldrik- whisper something about him being an irresponsible knight.

And yet, Tsuniak couldn't even bother to bring his gaze fully up from the ground. He resisted the urge to yell, simply because he couldn't muster the energy for it, but he desperately wanted to. To tell them he hadn't known he would be chosen. His hope was to be important someday, but maybe importance doesn't even make a difference in the world. It especially wouldn't if you were dead. Instead, he just walked past all of them, somberly, yet quick. Once he reached his father, the captain's tent, he went to open the flap and inside he was, awaiting his son.

But he wasn't angry, or even disappointed. He seemed… at peace. "Son, I've heard the exciting news" he said softly, though his gritty voice made it sound like more like a groan than a whisper. And Tsuniak thought about just how fast the news had spread. Of course it had. he sighed. "I assure you, you will be provided with the best equipment possible, and I will try to give you the rest of your training to the best of my ability in the time we have left together." Tsuniak finally looked up. His father had a half smile on his face. He looked almost happy to be sending out his son on this mission. "Father… aren't you going to say how frustrated you are of how I broke your rules" and his father simply shook his head, and if Tsuniak had looked at his eyes, he'd have noticed the true sadness of the man standing before him, but he didn't " There is no matter anymore. Your destiny is more important than any lecture I could give you."

Tsuniak's face hardened then. " I see." Tsuniak thought at that moment what he had thought his whole life. His father did not want him around. He was nothing more than another knight to him. This mission was just his final way of getting rid of him. Suddenly, Tsuniak was filled with energy again. He knew he needed to fulfill this quest. This was not excitement flowing through him though. It was unbridled fury. His father had never loved him the way his mother had, and he never would until Tsuniak could prove him that he wasn't just another pawn on the board. He was a warrior, and he would fulfill his destiny.