The last and unknown task of the princesses guardian.

[Tharin]

I was playing with an idea for another Original Story

Here is a Prologue : Thoughts appreciated.

Spoiler! :

The waves tossed their long boat high upon the swell and it suddendly jarred as the bow collided with the remaining floatsam of its discarded cargo.
His hands were clouded with the crimson color of his own blood that originated from the burns and wounds caused by the rope the male was pulling in.
This rope was tied to the main mast of the ship and the other end to another ship that cap sized in this blasted storm.
Deckmen were abondaning cargo , throwing it outside into the raging sea , to make room for the refugees that were pulled onto this boat.
The journey started with a fleet of 5 ships and only 2 were still holding their own against the raw power of the natural occurence.
Or maybe it wasn't a natural phenomenon?
As his body lurched forward he turned back to view the ashen face of the women he was birthed to protect and ferried across the western sea. She sat with uncanny stillness , placid in her faith amid a stormy sea with her arms draped around her own knees.
" So that is my last guardian ... " she said for herself as the noises were drowned out by the whip like sounds the raging winds produced.
The princess knew that her protector would knowingly throw himself in front of a sword or even a arrow , without any regards for his own life or even a second thought and this gave her the mental stabilty she needed to undertake this journey.
The journey across the utmost dangerous of seas to a place that made this perilous journey pale in comparison and made it appear like a sunday afternoon walk in the park.
Both were headed to the > School for the empires < which was located in the neutral Kingdom that provided a legendary Academy for becoming soldiers , noblemen up to even princesses.
Even though this Academy tended to their students every needs , the dark side of the other kingdoms or even ones own stretched their hands into claws and tried sink those sharpend nails into the flesh to extort everything they could to gain the upper hand against ones own kingdom.

( As well as a free writing style from my side )

[Tharin]

The first chapter
How it all began.

Spoiler! :

In the Kingdom of Grandina , the southern most kingdom of them all , in the lonesome mountain ranges above the capitol there was a village for the the outcasts or rebels that once offended the current King.
The dual mountain peaks that surrounded the village stood like sentinels against the southern skyline with their jagged peaks and pristine glaciers and turned them momentarily orange as the last rays of the dying light reached them.
But before the intensity off the sun vanished completely beyond the horizon , 2 ravens were visible from the village and descended at great speeds towards a certain lonesome sorry excuse for a house.
A boy dressed in rags as well as pelts , made from the various animals he hunted each day , lifted up his right arm to welcome the flying creatures and offer them a place to land safely.
His facial features as well as every last piece of skin was covered in this assortment of rags he deemed worthy enough to wear to protect him against the late summer cold.
Ravens were viewed as a beast of incredible influence on the ever lasting ice kingdom of Grandina over the centuries as they even reigned supreme in the current Kings royal crest.
Those beings with their black feather dress and bead like black eyes wandered at the border of Life and Death and were said to posses the power to look into the future.
But these 2 ravens had a ring of yellow withered metal at their feet and to those a piece of paper was tied.
These letters were sealed with the Ravens-crest , the boy saw as he untied it from their legs , and were addressed to him.
Flipping trough the extra vagrant letters and boot licking phrases he entered the house behind him with both ravens sitting on top of his shoulders that enjoyed the relaxation after a long flight.
Reappearing only seconds later the ravens took off involuntarily as the boy slung a tube like bag over his shoulders and secured the straps on his chest.
The moon appeared over the high peeks and began to devour the snow covered lands in its eerie silver shimmer as the boy set off to his final duty before he would be free.
........................................................................

The corridors were longer then i remembered , it is like after hundreds of years of stability they could stretch themselves , over the short duration of a year , hundreds off miles longer into the old mountain, I thought for myself.
The guards escorting me could not be any older then i am myself and with their 17 or 18 lived winters they were visibly scarred along their hands , arms or even faces. Nonetheless not one un belonging line was visible on my skin , not even the faintest off white marks telling the tale of a fought battle.
As usual every time i visited the royal halls , i burned the images off the high reaching ceilings with their wooden constructions underneath into my mind. Even the long and broad tables for the huskarls of his majesty was a true sight to behold.
Nonetheless the walls lined with shields off each warlords-clan or the incredible sized bathtub like containers for the golden mead , reserved for the King and his huskarls alone , were a sight as breath taking as usual.
Arriving before the wooden throne , the armrests were carved as such that one would get the impression the pictured dragons were about to burst out and swallow one hole , I knelled down before the King.
He was a stout man with average height but an incredible amount of muscles mounted onto his shoulders inform of his arms.
But since the assassination of the old King this once inspiring figure has succumbed to a life-style of drink and feast accompanied with the many occasions of women and left his body spongy and massive instead of compact.
Nonetheless he was the King and i had to pledge my utter devotion to the throne , as i had numerous times before.
" Majesty. " I said while looking at the base of his feet.
The wood creaked and moaned as the King lifted his incredible body out of the chair and stood before me.
" Rise , Anduim Aran-ienn. " The King addressed me with my name.
Even though his body has changed to his disadvantage his voice was still able to inspire the young and old alike and was resolute in tone.
I swallowed back any hesitation letting the weight off my prior full filled assignments propel me into a standing position. Standing straight i saluted the King once more with my fist slamming into the left side of my chest and looked at him.
His brown eyes were sharp and cunning and seemed to stare a hole through the back of my head but I , unperturbed by the intensity of his gaze , had a relaxed look about me and locked his stare.
For quite some time the battle off wills continued only visible through the strength each one of the contestants fixed his opponent with. But shortly before the King was about to look away , noticeable through the twitch of his artery above his brow , I broke the gaze and acknowledged my defeat.
Now i had a short break and took a look at the crowd situated on the left and right side of his Kings throne. The 2 Brothers , children of the king , had a relaxed stance while staring straight ahead without taking notice of my existence as well as the queen herself.
In her years she would have been a true beauty but all the wrinkles and her rather round belly , after her 4 births , belittled the once breath taking Lady and left her with a plump appearance.
As the King seated himself once again i knelled but this time i looked at him directly.
" Anduim , you have read your mission. Tonight during the hour of the setting sun you will depart Grandina and travel to the Kingdom of Lithia by sea. My daughter will study there for 3 years at the Academy of Empires. You are to ensure her safety. " He started.
" After those 3 years have passed and no harm has been done to her you will be freed off your > Name < and you can choose a family name of your liking to escape the hell of being a Itsuki. "
This incredible feeling being close to freedom almost made me shout up in happiness but i suppressed the urge and only my eyes gave my thoughts away.
" Yes your majesty. " I replied resolute after gathering myself.
I received more information about the port and ship i would be leaving on as well as gear for the protection of the princess .
All orders had already been made by the Queen , housing as well as a maid awaited us in the vicinity off the Academy.
....................................................

The sun was about to give off its last lazy rays and bathed the port into a spectacle of molten gold as I arrived at the ' Winged Predator ' the flagship that would carry the princess and me to our home for 3 years to come.
With a dragon at its helm and a length off 100 yards it was a genuine dragon boat off the south kingdom of Grandina. Its width spanned merely 6 yards and it had 1 main and 2 off-masts. The handrail was about 4 yards above water , as it was still unloaded , and the body underneath another 4 yards.
Even though rather excited I suppressed any emotion , preventing an outsider of knowing my thoughts. This was trained into me from a early age of 3 winters.
As well as how to use a sword and other instruments meant to incapacitate a possible threat , also the eyes and mind to discern the one that means harm from the one that just uses it as means to bolster his status.
I changed into real clothes along the way , a parting gift off the Queen herself , and now was covered in a black attire with a hood drawn deep into my face hiding my facial features. Climbing the short plank i arrived on the ship and asked my way along to the captain.
" Anduim , reporting for duty. " I called out to the black haired man that was the captain.
His tanned skin as well as his wrinkled hands told tales off his seafaring life but what disturbed me where the 3 golden rings in his right ear.
The person that trained me ever since i was able to walk and talk also shared his memory's and knowledge with me and a Captain off a ship with rings in his left ear was harmless but the right ear was reserved for the pirates , implying that he had looted a 5 ships for each ring there.
Turning his head around he stared at me but nothing told him off my direct suspicion for his past profession.
" Aye , m' boy yar task is to guard the princess , ey? Ya don't have to work aboard the ship." He said in the thick accent every seafarer seemed to have.
Another wisdom my mentor burned into my memory was : that you should not expect one to present you with kindness but exploit it and use these 'friends' to deem them worthy or acquire other real companions.
He told me such things knowing that i was unable to accept people into my comfort zone , i didn't know if this was a defect by birth or perhaps due to growing up with only a grandfather like mentor without a mother or father or even due to the harsh living environment i had to survive in on a daily basis back in the village of the banished.
With my mind made up i went under deck and stowed my belongings in the net like bags that were used as storage room. The sea could become very rough at times and every unsecured cargo was a potential threat , not only to me but what was of graver importance the princess.
She should have arrived already so i went toward the room that was especially reserved for her , which lay all the way back at the stern of the ship. Knocking on the door 3 hard times i waited for a reply from within.
" Yes? " A female voice came through the closed door.
Promptly i opened the door and entered her chambers.
My heart was caught in my throat for a moment. The sun pierced through the windows off the stern carving the outline off her sitting by the window , which involuntarily made me think off the first white blossoms of spring. Her hair was raven black and her skin off a pure white , there was a faint blush on her cheek as I stared too long and longingly at her silhouette.
Realizing that my emotions showed on my face i shook all self conscious thoughts off and returned to a business like gaze.
" Princess , my name is Anduim , i am to study besides you. " I said.
Taking a deep bow with my lower body still being straight and my upper body bent down. The King thought off it as best to deceive his own daughter and introduce me as a comrade rather then her bodyguard to make her secretly comply with his wishes.
This princess the 4th child of his majesty was well known for her temperament and her particular attitude towards her own father , simply to deny him any wish he has for her future.
Countless marriage proposals or even arranged marriages were smashed before her feet but as the youngest child the King was rather lax with her.
" Mhmm , i never had the joy to meet such an insolent boy as yourself. State your full name , peasant. " She commanded me with a sharp tongue which befitted her status as a princess.
Being used to this kind of treatment by her brothers or her other sister i complied with her wishes.
" Mylady , my name is Anduim but as i am a Itsuki i am Anduim Aran-ienn. " I told her and bowed even deeper then before.
I knew from the start that this would not be an easy task , after all i had to get close to the target to be present if anything happened to her or give assistance if needed or defend her with my own life ensuring her safety.
If she died so would i , being hunted by a whole kingdom with a bounty on my head was not a path i would like to take.
" A boy without a legitimate father , eh? What you would expect of peasants. " She rather told herself this then me.
With a wave of her hand she dismissed me from her room seemingly tired off my presence. As i complied with her demand i wondered what other tasks i could fulfill on this ship trapped for 3 weeks without much to do other then to entertain and protect the princess.
Not arriving at any suitable conclusion i decided to ask the captain to give me work , rather then to offer him . He was quickly located atop the cargo hatch directing his deck-man to work harder.
" Captain , give me any work. " I told him up straight.
Turning around i could see a glimmer of mischievousness lighten up his dark eyes.
" Yar m' boy , move those barrels under the bilge. " He said to me with his thick accent.
The berrols he pointed too were loaded with various food supply from fish to apples and even water. Everything was not until a mean to sustain the crew or the princess but also prevent the many sea-faring diseases.
Especially fresh water was a thing that could not be supplied in the middle of the ocean and every ship needed a great enough supply with efficient containers to prevent the water from becoming stale.
These special containers were heavy and 100% sealed against outside influences and those i had to carry down underneath the bilge.
I slung my arms around the heavy container and pressed it tightly onto my chest to secure it from slipping out of my grasp. Normally picking it up and carrying it on top of my shoulders would be the easier task , but I considered the narrow corridors off the innards of the ship so i went with this method of transportation.
After my 7th trip the Captain was smiling at me in a fashion that showed his amusement. But picking up a container for my 10th time I started to head under deck as the Captain himself came over.
" M' boy ya can take a break if your tired , ya know? " He told me out of concern.
I eyed him up for a split second and got the impression that he meant no harm , no rather he meant it for my own good.
" No , Captain , i am still fine. This much weight is nothing. "
His eyes widened in disbelief as he continued to stare at me while i headed for my next trip.
The sun sunk and as the moon took its place the heavenly body bathed the port in its silvery light. Having transported half of the cargo underneath the bilge myself the captain handed me a bottle of liquid to clench my thirst and a towel to wipe of my sweat.
" Ya know m' boy , if ya keep up the good work i might hire ya. " He told me.
I smiled wryly at his offer but decided to solve this diplomatically as to not offend a person that used to be a pirate.
" Captain , i appreciate the offer but you should have awareness off my circumstances. "
Now he eyed my clothes and found what he was locking for. The broken baton was sewn with a silver thread into my cloak to tell people off my rather uncommon birth circumstances.
" Aye m' boy , but considerin ya lifted a 150 pound barrel all by yerself , i would hire ya. " His voice reached me filled with his foreign accent.
Fair enough a living off the sea was a attractive offer but i could not betray this task since i would gain freedom out of it. Not many bastards were alive that could tell the tale off them being freed out of their once slave like captivity.
" I am sorry , Captain , but i still have to decline. But maybe after i'm free i will take you up on the offer. " I told him my honest thoughts.
Even if i accepted this generous offer now , i had to disguise myself every time we headed toward a port in Grandina , i would be a > free-bird< meaning anyone could kill me without hesitation and they would receive a generous gift if they brought back my head.
With a heavy thump the Captains flat hand landed on my back , i thought a bear must have come by and punched me straight across my shoulders , as he stood up and laughed heartily before turning his attention to his deck-man.
" Yar , ye land luvin maggots , lets take this baby outta port! " He commanded.
Soon after , paddles breached the surface off the calm sea and steered us out of port.
......................................
The boat soon met up with 4 others , each one protecting their mates from possible pirates along the way , and formed a caravan on ships across the western sea.
Deckhands ran around like ants on each ship either scrubbing the deck , setting or returning the sails or doing other tasks at hand while i had the most ' honorable ' jobs off all. Tend to the sea-sick princess in her cabin.
Well taking care off her was not the right description as i only had to bring her water or towels as I was never allowed to enter her chambers.
2 weeks later even after her sea-sickness subsided I never got to see her on deck to view the waves or the clouds that most women found romantic. But with her sickness past the captain gave me the opportunity to experience various jobs around the boat.
Reeling in the sail , setting it , climbing in the gallows he even let me control the steering wheel for a short duration. But this was a task that was learned with time. As soon as i touched the wheel the long boat steered out off the wind and the sails died down.
" Haha , m' boy nobody gets it perfect for the first time! " The captain said with laughter.
After watching him do the steering i understood the principle and he let me steer again. Quickly i grasped the techniques he showed me and now the boat was running smoothly along the calm sea due to my own hands.
The thought of mastering the elements to combine the forces of water and air sent a thrill through my body as i felt the boat being pushed along by the wind crashing through tiny waves.
With all the new impressions assailing me i knew nothing of the impending doom that was approaching us. The skys darkened suddenly , covering us in a thick web of darkness , and the waves began to grow fiercer by the minute. The heavy sound of spray , forced apart by the walls of the ship , assaulted my ears.
Thunderbolts struck the water close to us and the deck erupted into chaos. Deck-man running around like a scared horde of sheep tumbled on each other and it would not surprise me if a few of them were trampled to death by their comrades.
A extremely loud noise came from the star-boards side and as i turned around i saw the main mast of the next ship to us go up in flames. Screaming pierced across the dark waters and i saw humans lit up by flames jumping into the oceans , using their last means to escape.
More screams assaulted my ears from the opposite direction as a another ship crashed head long into wave , leaving a broken helm behind and water rushing inside of the ship.
The craft that was being abandoned , due to the raging flames that started from its mast , rammed into another ship and the flames licked their way across both of them.
Taking the initiative i crossed the boat and picked up a rope with an attached grappling hook. Twirling the tangling mass of rope i threw it to the closest ship that was being dragged under by the tremendous force the entering sea water made upon it.
I released the hook at the perfect angle and it attached itself to the handrail off the one next to us. Another deck-man saw my intention and tied it around our main mast. I placed my feet on the handrail and pulled with all my strength. Inch by inch the 2 ships came closer.


Waking up to in excuse able sounds , i was headed , with unsteady feet due to the high waves , towards the ships deck for the first time since the journey began. As soon as i saw the dark clouds hanging above the ship i realized the disaster we had steered into.
The waves tossed our long boat high upon the swell and it suddenly jarred as the bow collided with the remaining floatsam of its discarded cargo.
The boys hands were clouded with the crimson color of his own blood that originated from the burns and wounds caused by the rope the male was pulling in.
This rope was tied to the main mast of the ship and the other end to another ship that cap sized in this blasted storm.
Deck-men were abandoning cargo , throwing it outside into the raging sea , to make room for the refugees that were pulled onto this boat.
The journey started with a fleet of 5 ships and only 2 were still holding their own against the raw power of the natural occurrence.
Or maybe it wasn't a natural phenomenon?
As his body lurched forward he turned back to view my ashen face as i stood atop of the flight of steps connecting the deck to the cabins underneath. In a perfectly still manner i stood there placing all of my trust and faith into this god-like appearance that locked his gaze with mine.
His black attire , that covered his whole body , was drenched by the spraying water off the waves and the wind had torn his hood off revealing what laid beneath.
White hair , not of a aged man but more the white color of the first snowflake falling down from the heavens fulfilling its promise to return every year , that reached all the way down to his lower back and violet eyes were his remarkable features.
His even shaped face was adorned with fine lines and his clear and almost polished like skin combined with his full lower lip and thin upper one perfected the image every women had of the perfect male.
" So that is my last guardian ... " I said for myself as the noise was drowned out by the whip like sounds the raging winds produced.
Even though my father tried to keep the guardian a secret i caught wind of it. I knew that he would knowingly throw himself in front of a sword or even a arrow , without any implications off a second thought and this gave me the mental stability I needed to undertake this journey.
The journey across the utmost dangerous of seas to a place that made this perilous journey pale in comparison and made it appear like a sunday afternoon walk in the park.
Both of us were headed to the > School for the empires < which was located in the neutral Kingdom that provided a legendary Academy for becoming soldiers , noblemen up to even princesses.
Even though this Academy tended to their students every needs , the dark side of the other kingdoms or even my Grandina itself stretched their hands into claws and tried sink those sharpened nails into my flesh to extort every mean they could to gain the upper hand against my father , the King of Grandina.
I kept watching the boy pulling in the other ship , which should be impossible due to the strong current of the darkened sea beneath us , and with a loud thump the 2 hulls of both ships touched.
An endless stream of refugees jumped over and not only a few were pushed away and landed inside the raging sea instead of this boat that represented their safe-haven. The boy jumped onto the other boat and dragged along wounded after wounded deck-man onto this ship saving their lives.
The last remaining man was just lifted up by the boy and received by the crew of this ship as another heavy wave hit both boats. Lifting up the half sunk ship for a last time my guardian took his chance and lunged towards this ship and was received by a cheering crowd of deck-man already celebrating the small victory of their saved comrades.

[superloner]

So far it looks good.

[Tharin]

Chapter 2
The Academy's secret.

Spoiler! :

The sun glistened across the calm waters in the port of Lithia. Silhouettes of the rectangular shaped piers , dock-houses or other ships came into view as we arrived in the early morning hours.
After the storm that ruined the trade caravan 3 days on the sea with limited supply every deckhand , the captain , the princess , the refugees and me were happy to see land before us. Discarding the cargo was a good idea for the refugees but most off the supply off food and water went overboard as well.
Scanning the people that survived the day of the wrathful sea i saw slight signs of mal nutrition or even lack of water. But the princess looked as healthy as ever , since i sacrificed my shares to double her own , without her knowledge of course.
The ropes to fasten us to the pier were thrown and tightened around the posts as a huge wave of cheers and happy laughter erupted from both surviving ships.
Deckhands unloaded the rest of the cargo and they specifically handed me the luggage the princess had brought aboard. She had already left for shore and was waiting impatiently where the pier met the firm land underneath.
" M' boy , i thank ya for all yar done for us. " The Captain stopped me and bowed out of gratitude.
He handed me a package that was wrapped in oil tarp which made it water proof. But at a exasperated sigh of the princess i left with another one of those bone crushing back slaps that the Captain used on me since the first day.
" Farewell Lad , may the storms spare you and the hauls be great. " He addressed me for the last time as he turned around and shouted towards his deckhands to hurry up.
I picked up her majesty's luggage but turned around once again as i reached her. The firm outer hull off the ' Winged Predator ' glistened with pearls of water dripping off of its smooth surface and the masts stood proud and tall. With thoughts of relief i left behind a chapter of my life that i would never forget.
...............................................

I knew the general directions to the ' Grandinian square ' , where our housing was located at. Nonetheless i asked a few people along the way. This place was filled with people with blond hair and light eye color as well as a little tanned skin. Residents of Lithia as well as the Holy Empire shared common ancestry and had these features to them.
But what shocked me quite a bit was the fact that i was at least 1 1/2 head lengths taller then anyone around the area and stood out due to it. Even the princess , that was considered ' tiny' as Grandinian standards went , was taller then anyone in the big streets.
Even the architecture of this place was the unique building style the Lithians used and was foreign to my eyes especially since they used stone for almost everything. All shapes were rectangular doors , windows , walls as well as roofs. But the most striking feature of this building style were the red tiles made from clay that adorned EVERY house.
But no emotion showed on my face. Even if i had one in this situation no one would notice due to the woolen hood i pulled deep down into my face , hiding all my features at this afternoon sun.
Differences in clothing style was also evident , as the residents used a light stitching process combined with light linen. But me and the princess were dressed in heavy wool , preferred in the warm seasons in our Kingdom. But this heat was unbearable for the princess and I saw heavy transpiration marks on the lower back of her dress.
Even though i knew i should be sweating i was not in the slightest. Rather this heat made my blood boil and made me slightly light headed. But i was still aware of my duty as the guardian of the princess.
" Princess , do you lighter clothes with you? You could also buy something in the shops along the way. " I made a light suggestion.
She halted in her footsteps and tried to view what lay beyond the hood i wore. Nonetheless she was unsuccessful and headed off to a nearby store with me following closely behind. I stood outside and waited for her return that took her quite some time.
She left the store dressed in a white one piece dress that started at her collarbones , not making her look to prude but neither like a whore , went along her smooth shoulders all the way to the middle of her hand with long sleeves. The hem of her dress ended at her ankles and had frills following the hem line. Due to its tight fitting nature the curves , she should need a weapons license for , came into view.
I was delighted at her considerate choice of clothing as well as the natural style she wore it with. Now only her height and those war braids in her hair high lighted her in the masses. Her hair was silky and black like the feather dress of a raven combined with her not really to long nose as well as her thin eyebrows and small lips she was a beauty.
Her gray and intelligent eyes told one off the education she had undergone since the early age but i was not about to be captivated by her appearance. I knew better she was as temperamental as the roaring winters on the top of a mountain. Sometimes still or even playful but on other times they could freeze you to death in seconds.
" Good idea i had there , buying new clothes. " She said.
Surely it was my idea but why should i anger her? Especially since she was about to pat her own shoulder which made me smile on the inside. Naturally this did not show on the outside.
" But you there , take off that hood everyone is staring. "
As she told me this i turned my full attention to our surroundings and eyed everyone. Sure they were staring but i knew they kept watching her and not me even if my face was hidden. But do as you told .... I reached for the hood and flung it onto my back. My white hair spilled from the confined space inside of the hood all the way down onto my behind and the high standing twin suns stabbed their rays restlessly into my eyes.
Now those stares fixated on me and my white hair as well as my skin that had the same color as freshly fallen snow. A few gaps were audible but we continued on nonetheless. My face a complete mask not showing what lay beyond fluttering from face to face in this always changing crowed focused on one thing : Protect the princess from harm.
..............................................................
We arrived at a certain square that was the quarter of town where all the Grandinans lived. Trees standing up to 20 times my own height with house thick tree trunks and needle like leaves greeted us as we entered that square as well as a mist that surrounded this forest.
These trees were native to Grandina and we were headed straight into the rows and rows of trees. A paved road leads us on and on and sometimes another smaller road forked off. Sometimes when i looked down those roads i could see houses that were built in the traditional Grandinian way.
Everything that Grandinians used for building were the trees themselves. This was a specialty for Grandinian and could only be performed by our people. They sung to the trees and lulled the mind of the earth godess in we worshiped. This made the trees grow incredibly fast and combined hundreds of trees together into the way we wanted them too. Whole towns or even castles could be built easily in this way.
There was once a resident of Grandina that tried to use this as a weapon but rather fast he found himself in trouble since the earth godess is a peaceful one.
At the end of the paved road was a 4 story high building built in this way. The roof was made up from branches and the special leaves. Naturally those needles left holes in the roof that should be tight shut but those holes were filled with tree-sap. The door was also special since it was formed from interwoven branches and the hinges were replaced by more branches.
" Amazing ... " The princess said.
Now a days not many people sung whole houses out from a forest instead they used already created ones. But those house ' owners ' still had to appease the earth godess and align the growth of the house in what ever way they wanted.
" Princess let us head inside. " I told her.
She simply ignored me but did as i told her. Flinging open the door she stood in the spacious entrance hall where easily 100 people could find place with room to spare. The outside walls were rough and dark like the tree-bark but the insides were smooth and light brown like the exposed wood.
It was a beautiful sight to behold as such precision work was a true wonder even though all of us could do these songs. Wood was burning in a fire place built from stone and stew was heated over it.
" Well well , what do we have here? " A female voice reached us from the stairs.
She was dressed in a black dress and had a white apron tied over top of it. Being around 26 winters of age she was a beauty and had a mature allure about her. Her long light brown hair framed her roundish face that made her appear like a doll. The eyes of her were a dark brown color and gave off a warm feeling.
" This is the 4th princess of Grandina Gewnfuin daughter of Rickson. My name is Anduim. " I told her.
She knew about our arrival as the Queen told me and those words combined with the warm eyes made me aware that she was simply teasing us but i still played along. With a perfectly executed curtsy she awaited her orders from the princess.
" I am exhausted from the long trip. Prepare hot water and bring it up to my chambers. " She commanded.
Her voice lacked charisma and her eyes were only sharp and had no devotion in them. It should be a good opportunity for her to join the Academy and gain real experience off being a ruler among other things.
The princess was in the Ruler curriculum of the School for empires and in the Monarch class. This meant she was in the 20 people that joined this special class each year.
I was in the Soldier course and also in the foot-soldier class the lowest of the lowest ranks in military. But i knew there was no way i could attend Ruler class with her. First it would look suspicious to outsiders that 2 people from the same area of Grandina would take these classes.
Also there was a chance that the Queen wished she would find a suitable marriage partner in her class and my intrusion on them could prove fatal.
While thinking about all this the maid prepared everything for her Majesty and the girl herself went upstairs. Being alone i went to the kitchen and grabbed a bowl and filled it with stew and greedily devoured 5 completely filled plates with bread ontop of it.
Knowing what real hunger feels like does not mean i was not going to eat if i could so i sat back with a mug filled with the freshest water i tasted in a long time. Entirely filled and satisfied my attention turned to the sounds that came from outside. Small animals made noises as well as the light swaying off branches drifting along with the wind.
I decided to go on a stroll outside in the mist filled forest. First i took along the house and saw that there were no weak spots in the walls themselves and the clearing that was created to build this house the area was quite unfavorable for a direct attack , since there was nothing to hid behind. The surrounding forest was as a Grandinian forest should be.Rather cold , eerie and ominous. The only thing that could be a problem was the mist but this was a feature every cold forest had and nothing could be done about it.
Sinking down the suns had begun their gradual decent beyond the horizon as the shadows grew longer and longer. I thought it best to retire for the night after all tomorrow we would begin our academy life.
....................................................

Waking up early i dressed and headed towards the kitchen. I arrived there , with the intentions to cook my own meals , only to find the maid already cooking. As i stood there unsure off what to do with myself the maid turned around and eyed me.
" I wanted to prepare my own meals. " I told her.
My gaze was as neutral as it could be but i deemed it unnecessary to wear the hood inside of the house. But due to the cold chilly mist surrounding the forest it was cold inside of the house and i used a long pelt cloak to cover myself against it.
The maid turned around again and set up tableware on a kitchen table and served a meal for me. She also prepared another set besides mine but she had no intention of filling this one yet.
" I hope you woke the princess already. " I said to the maid after she placed the food down.
" Yes i did. " She replied.
While saying this she headed towards the oven again and pulled out the bread she was baking inside of it. I looked around the kitchen carefully and found a few things that interested me. A neat piled stack of firewood for the stove and oven , perfectly cleaned and aligned kitchen gadgets hung from a shelve and ~everything~ was perfectly in order.
This told me facts that i needed to know about the person that aligned these tools and things. The maid was definitely straight-laced in a bothering way. Also her perfectly aligned hair and dress , even though she had already cocked , made me wary of her.
With a silence filled kitchen the princess arrived after a few minutes , sat down and began eating. Even though she was a royal , more or less from my perspective , her etiquette's either lacked or as a Grandinian she was not used to them in the first place. I always expected royals to use different sized forks or knifes for their food but she only had one each , but she still used them in a elegant way.
As the silence continued the princess at here 1 serving of bread , butter and meat while i demanded already my third. While i just started this serving the princess rose and left the kitchen heading towards the entrance door. After it closed silently behind her she was headed towards the school we would be attending from now on , but i was not worried in the slightest.
Actually this worked for me quite well , i needed to keep a distance between us but still have a overview of her safety. So her leaving earlier for me was a god sent gift instead of having to wait in a dark alley for her to pass or something alike.
" Good food. " I muttered as i headed for the entrance myself.
As i opened the door the mist instantly engulfed me and as i drew in a deep breath my lungs filled with the cold morning air. Just with this little i felt nostalgic and smiled for myself as i went along the path to school the Queen had informed me about.
The moment i left the forest behind i felt a rapid rise of heat touching my skin but i soon saw a familiar figure. Black hair combined with gray intelligent eyes , she was standing at an intersection only 50 foot outside the forest and probably was thinking about the way to the academy.
" Princess the faster way is along this road. " I told her.
I pointed down the right hand road but the left hand road would lead her back to the port. Naturally i gave her a easy mean to escape this little slip , since evidently she had no recollection of the way to the Academy or she simply had no knowledge of it in the first place.
While saying this i passed her and she mumbled something as she lined up behind me and followed. Along the road the Lithian architecture was common but looking down a crossing road i saw other architecture types in the distance.
There were 6 Kingdoms but only 5 types of unique building styles. As the Kingdom of Lithia had declared its independence , only a mere few hundred years ago , from the Holy Empire due to religious reasons. But those hundred years were a too slight time frame for developing a new building style.
I glanced behind me quite frequently when ever i turned at a corner and found her majesty following me ever. This made my job easier , for now , but we soon arrived at the Academy for Empires.
6 dome shaped buildings came into view built. At first i thought i was looking at a building carved from ice itself but the marble they used was of such a pure quality that the smooth round surfaces reflected the rays off the early 2 morning suns back at me. Those dome shaped facilities were aligned like a 5 edged star and the 6th building was the administration building.
This particular building had the grand forum of Lithia , that could easily seat 50000 in its ranks , inside of it as well as a cafeteria and the teachers or trainers lounge. But even considering the grand Forum this centered building was the smallest out of the 6.
Alone this Instructional Academy covered enough space for a big flourishing town , but what would you expect from the world famed School for Empires. Alone this year around 10000 students had been enrolled in the 5 courses. Nonetheless even among the 5 courses there was a abundance of specified courses.
Take for example the soldiers course. Naturally the country could train their soldiers themselves while they were in the field or even in a barracks. Leaving it to Lieutenants or Sargent's to train the ' rookies ' was a common occurrence. But this school was something special.
Instead of training to become a mere foot-soldier in the same named class i would be trained to teach the foot-soldiers in the army of the Kingdom i belonged too. But first i would get the basics of combat and warfare crammed into my head. Nonetheless this course would raise me to a Seargent immediately making it possible to skip 3 military ranks.
But there were also Generals courses , Lieutenant coursed , Seargent courses and so on. Not only did the soldier course have to do with direct warfare but also principles behind existing weaponry was a specialized section with under courses in the Soldiers course.
With all of these thoughts on my mind the princess was walking besides me now as we headed for the grand Forum. The double sided doors were opened and 2 guards stood watch at everyone of the 12 doors that lead into the different sections of the grand Forum.
But once inside my heart stopped for quite a considerable time at the sight i was beholding. A completely covered roof with a crystal at its tip illuminated the grand Stage , a podium off golden colored marble surrounded by lustrous green grass , and its surroundings. The same marble that made the outside walls was cut into benches that descended like stair from the highest point of the entrance doors to the lowest point the grassy area surrounding the podium.
The princess was staring herself for a moment but with a slight cough caught herself and descended those stairs into one of the front rows that were specially reserved for the Ruler course.
Since i was in the lowest soldier course i seated myself in the back rows where i had a good sight of her majesty to reach her as fast as i could. While keeping a close watch on her a person was headed towards the podium and started a long and boring speech.
.....................................................

I only half listened to its content but was more surprised by the level of the voice. Being able to tell from this distance the female person was not shouting in the slightest but i was able to understand her all the way up here.
" Wow , to hear it all the way up here ... " I heard a voice besides me.
This was due to the building style this grand Forum was built with , as my mentor once told me. The walls were built in such a way that it amplified the voice and made it understandable all the way in the back as well as in the first or middle rows.
I turned around to find the origins of this voice , just to be surprised at the female sitting besides me that i had not noticed taking the seat.
Her dark brown hair with streaks of a golden blond inside , combined with her amber colored eyes and the intensely tanned skin told me she was a Nilheim resident. The northern most Kingdom that was the land of sand and dry heat , the complete opposite off Grandina with its perma cold weather.
She wore a sleeveless Tunic that extended all the way to her knees. A threaded belt hung at her waist , and what a waist that was , while her wrists were adorned with metal bracelets as well as her neck. Her full and definitely delicious looking lips were colored in a pink color that seemed to originate from a berry , judging by its luscious sweet smell.
She turned to me , as she saw my slight movements , and mustered my facial features. Her eyes went from a curious to a intense surprised look which made me chuckle.
" You are from Grandina , right? " She asked.
Curiosity filled her voice as she was bouncing up and down on the bench and her face light up in excitement.
" Yes. "
Now her bounces became even more intense and she held her hand towards me.
" Im Shahirah Hatshepsut , nice to meet you ... um? "
" Anduim. "
" Okay , nice to meet you Anduim. I didn't expect to see one from Grandina here . Tell me what brings you to this Academy ... No wait your here to study. Haha . But what course are you in. "
With every word she spoke her pace became faster and i imagined her tongue doing back-flips in her own mouth to keep up with this linguistic feature.
" Foot-soldier course. "
Even though i thought it impossible her features brightened up even more and i could almost see stars inside of her eyes.
" Me too , me too. But tell me is it true that you have snow all around the year? Are there a lot of animals around then ? Are there plants? Is it really cold all the time of the year? "
She kept asking more and more and more and her pace quickened even farther. I was genuinely impressed she had not bit her own tongue yet.
" Yes . " I told her after she finished.
" To what yes? Which question do you mean ? Don't tell me to all of them? No that can't be can it ? "
I fixated her eyes the whole time and she was genuinely interested and had no ulterior motive to get closer to me besides that so i answered her truthfully.
" Yes to all. "
" Wow ... I couldn't live like that ... isn't the cold painful? I'm always sore after a winter night at my home town , which is surrounded by a desert by the way. "
I nodded to her questions as i glanced towards those raven black hair in the front rows. She was chatting with someone seated besides her , judging by the short trimmed hair a male.
" It is okay. "
Shahirah placed both of her hands to her cheeks and stared at the ceiling while letting out sounds of surprise.
The speech came to and end and Shahirah was still far away in her own thoughts as i stood up. But who would have thought , at her overly energetic behavior from before , that she would grab my sleeve.
" Let's check out the classroom for foot-soldiers course together ! "
As she said that she was already pulling my sleeve and thus dragging me along with her.
...........................................

Entering the specialized course classroom for foot-soldiers a grand forum in miniature version greeted me with a capacity off around 400 people not sitting to closely.
I placed myself in the back once again and Shahirah followed me and bombarded me with more questions.
" Are there really wolfs and boars and ravens and stags around in Grandina? I always wanted to see them! Have you ever seen a druid wolf? "
" What is a druid wolf? "
Since the start of her one sided conversation i took the offensive for the first time.
" Do you call it different? So what can you transform into? " She asked me.
Her genuine curiosity gave me the hint i am missing something crucial here. On a very rudimentary level i missed information but was i panicking? No.
" What can you transform into? "
I decided on the clever approach.
" Well i am a lioness , like my mother and her mother and the mother before her. "
Her beaming smile was almost to radiant and was hinted with pride on her ' legacy'?
" Can you sh... " I started.
But as the instructor entered , through the heavy set of double doors , our conversation as well as talk off the approximately 200 other students ended.
He made his way to the podium silently and started to shout.
" Listen here you scavenging rats , i'm your theoretical instructor. Address me as Sir nothing else is acceptable. Also to speed up the process lets all transform and show me what you maggots are made off! "
Right besides me a golden light erupted and as it engulfed Shahirah i felt heat on my skin i never felt before. I shut my eyes and covered the lids with my arm to prevent my eyeballs from melting.
The heat disappeared and i opened them again just to stare at the place Shahirah used to sit. But now a female lion was there that easily weighed 500 pounds and from head to body about 8 ft 6 in.(~ 265cm).
Not believing my own eyes i turned around only to see the formerly 200 students turned into animals. Lions , jackals ,tigers , foxes , bob-cats , eagles , hyenas , panthers and some more distinctive breeds or races of animals occupied the class room.

[superloner]

I think he might have gone into the wrong class.

[Tharin]

I don't think so

[Tharin]

Chapter 3
The reunion

Spoiler! :

After class i escorted her majesty back to the square in which the Grandinian people lived and knew there the spirits off the forest itself would protect her.
It was just the day of introductions in the Academy and i was saved by a bell resounding in the premises signaling the end off the first day. Surely i could have handled it better then just plainly escaping , if i lied my way out of it , but why fight a battle on uneven grounds.
Now i had all the time in the world to capture the situation and their semantics before i needed to head back to class. Getting the information i had to aquire in order to ' fight ' on even grounds or just to evaluate the circumstances off my secondary task , to appear like an outsider and not as the princesses guardian , was the task at hand.
So in a big city where you have never been before where do you get that information? This turned out to be rather simple as i had done this kind of task numerous times before , for the king to complete missions.
Simple seek and destroy missions. But alone the 'seek' part of these missions was a task one had to gather numerous sources of information to identify the location of the 'target' and then use that information to terminate ' it ' or use counter information to ' lure ' the target out.
As i arrived at the nearest pub and was about to enter the doors were thrust open from the inside as a figure flew past me.
" Oy , you bloody bastards ! " I heard a male voice from behind me.
The figure that just flew out had a bright blond batch of hair sticking in every direction from his head and his clothes were a complete mess. Stains that dark liquid had left behind were splattered all across his fur cape. The heavy wool tunic he wore combined with the leggings with the same material surely once were white but now had a greyish appearance.
He stood up and went back inside and flew out again in mere seconds. Truly just like i remembered him.
" You there , the big prat! " I shouted towards his direction.
He turned his attention towards me and his jaw dropped visibly as i saw the recognition in his eyes.
" Anduim? ANDUIM! You bloody prick what are you doing here? " He said with a big grin on his lips.
I reached my hand towards him which he gladly took as i was about to help him up.
" Just another task for the Queen , and you Siegmund? "
Now standing he was about 5 inches shorter then me but his ox like stature marked him as the burliest fighter back in the village.
" Same as you , but i never thought to meet you here! What a surprise lets go and hit a pub to celebrate our reunion! "
He pushed me inside of the building he just flew out off and as i entered the strong smell of a decent ale that could remove the rust of a old metal armor easily.
" Look who is there again , the rotten barbarian! And look at that those imbeciles are multiplying! " A male said towards us as we entered.
This male voice came from a table filled with 4 others that had lived through as many winters as i had. All had pitch black dark hair that was curly all the way up to the roots as well as darker skin. Unlike the Nilheim residents that only had tanned skin these people had dark skin ranging from a medium brown to a almost black color.
People that originated from Celtusi. The lived on the west most side of the continent and inhabited mostly jungles. Even though they called us barbarians it is common knowledge that they used human sacrifices to appease their gods. And all of them were arrogant bastards that thought only them could rule the world , but that is more lore then actual knowledge.
" Like we learned it , ' brother ' ? " Siegmund asked me with a evil grin on his face.
In the village of the banned we all considered ourselves brothers and sisters , as the population off about 50 consisted off 48 young people , due to the harsh live and peril we shared. And we would do anything for our brothers.
" Aye . "

......................................................

5 figures came flying out of the pub with heavy bruises and one with a broken arm before we placed ourselves at their tables. I called for 2 ale's toward the master of the pub and concentrated on Siegmund who was smiling as bight as ever.
" Now that was fun! " He said and leaned back in his chair.
I smiled revealing my teeth only on one side but Siegmund knew that was all what he would get. Keeping all the other guests of this establishment in my eyes i scanned the area for threats. But luckily not one minded , or to be honest not one wanted to mess with us anymore.
" Did you have to beat those guys half to death? " The master said as he brought our ale.
Siegmund just shrugged it off with his shoulders and clearly made me understand with his eyes ' You deal with it' .
" Siegmund you did not break any guys limbs or bones right? So only one guy has a broken arm , they should consider themselves lucky. " I told the master with a serious tone.
He just shook his head violently and headed back to his counter which made me and Siegmund chuckle slightly.
" So is anyone else of our family here with you? " Siegmund asked me.
Judging from the situation he was in before i knew his one weakness brought him in the situation. He was overly curious and his ox stature was not just for show he tackled everything without second thought.
" No i am alone , you ? "
" Beatrix is with me and we both are on the same mission can you imagine? " He said energetically.
2 people from our ... brotherhood ... assigned to one mission? This target sure had to be one hell of a task for both of them.
" Where is she then? If you tell her later that you meet me you will throw up blood for weeks again and loose all of your hair. "
Beatrix Snow the harpy , we called her lovingly , specialized in poisons and was as her name implied a wrathful female. Get on her bad side and you should not eat in her presence any more ... or drink ... or breath...
" Don't worry she will come by later. So brother , what do you need to know? "
Due to us being raised very closely he knew why i was in a pub and offered his help. Even though we were not related by blood our ties were deeper , stronger and overwhelmed most who came into contact with our ... brootherhood ... for the first time.
" Listen i am in the Academy for Empires. I went inside of the classroom and a instructor came by. He commanded all of the students to transform. "
He drank at his ale but his eyes did not tell me what he was thinking. Especially since it was this rather simple minded guy i knew since i was born this picked my interest deeply.
" So? " He asked me.
" What do you mean by so they transformed into animals ... lions and jackals and hyenas. How can you be so calm!"
My voice reached a level some would call anger at his lax attitude and i squinted my eyes together. This made him back up a little bit since he knew of the danger that came with my anger.
" Okay okay , i still don't understand why you are so surprised by all this. Stop that look already i don't want another broken arm ! "
When we were younger by a few winters naturally we had quarrels and when one went to far there was the danger of getting a good beat down. Surely i received a few of those myself but i always dished out more then i took. This lesson Siegmund learned quite roughly.
With one raised eyebrow i looked at him and the information started to spill out of him.
" Have you never had a mission that involved the army before? They all change during battle frequently. Sometimes they fight as humans and at other times as animals. "
" So you are trying to tell me i am the odd one out for not knowing about shape shifting people inside of the army? " I asked while gathering my thoughts.
He scratched the back of his head and thought hard about something.
" Well not only people the WHOLE army is made up from them. Even i can change. I am a boar! "
Knowing the person in front of me lead me to a devastating conclusion. All he said was true , he would never lie to me , not that he could this block brain was not capable of telling a good lie from the start.
" So how and when did you acquire this power? "
With opened lips he stared at the ceiling trying to dig up memory's which he had forgotten a long time ago. A loud thump of his own hand made me aware , minutes later , that he came to a conclusion.
" I have no idea. I think i was born with it and when i reached 13 winters i just changed. I'm surprised you never noticed. " He told me.
" Can i learn that somehow? "
He stared off into nothingness again and i occupied my mind with other things as the entrance door swung open.
A tall blond girl with war-braids , that spilled down her chest like the smoothest of silk , approached us. Her eyes a piercing yellow , her cheek bones high as well as refined with just a thad bit off pointy ears and the godliest full lips i have ever seen , that always pouted naturally , stood in front of me.
" Hey , Beatrix long time no see." I said with a smile that some people would describe as beaming but which Grandinian beamed while smiling ... okay besides that blockhead....
Only silence greeted me back as the female was looking at me and burned every feature of my face into her memory. It was not due to her being forgetful but ever since we both were mere infants she had taken a liking to me and would not leave me. At least how much our missions allowed it.
" ... " More silence.
Having enough of it i kicked a chair back with my foot and pointed on it. She pulled it closer to me and locked her arm around mine placing the upper part of my limb between 2 soft mounds of flesh located at her chest.
" Beatrix , let go. " I ordered her.
She shook her head violently but i got mad at her for this clear hostile reaction off invading my private space. Raising one of my eyebrows once again i stared her down but this had the opposite effect.
At first she sobbed almost inaudible but then hiccups mixed in , which told me off the disaster that approached me and Siegmund. Resigning to my fate i patted her head gently and the sobs stopped as fast as they approached.
" Tricky little beast ... " I told Beatrix " But now back on topic , you can help out too. Can i learn to shape shift? "
" You are either born with it or not , Anduim. You can not learn it. But i thought all of us in the village had the ability? " Beatrix said.
A sharp pain ran through my head at her words and i involuntarily held my head to ease the pain. Siegmund just stared with a blank expression and Beatrix's changed to a concerned look.
" To the six hells , you had to endure this numerous times , huh? " I asked calmly after the headache disappeared.
Everyone in the village had certain ' blocks ' in their heads that created this pain. Each and everyone had different blocks that were centered around memory's of their own parents. Take Beatrix or Siegmund for example. Each one of them had encountered at least 10 blocks each in their life so far but this was the first for me. Those blocks were created due to the influence of druids.
Especially powerful druids could appease the spirits to do their bidding's and manipulate memory's and create these blocks. Even though they could control these spirt's , they were fickle and could turn against the masters easily. But calling this control a wonder or a mythic power was too much. In the old times magic ruled the lands but these druids could not summon fire from nothingness or turn their power in a weapon like the magicians of old could.
" Yeah and it doesn't get better. Just leave the topic out and you will have a great life." Beatrix told me half jokingly.
" Well can't be helped , ey? Let us get some more drink and food to celebrate our reunion! " Siegmund said with a happy tone.
Nodding to this i was already worried about the hang over i would have tomorrow.
...........................................

I was dragging both along with me a long time after the 2 suns had set. Not knowing where they lived currently i decided to drag them back to the princesses house. She definitily would be against it , but that is only if she knew. Judging by her behavior she was holed up in her room at this time and would leave it only when she had too.
Even though my senses were dulled by the alcohol , after we celebrated , sung and indulged in old memory's , i carried both of them along the way. But just as i was about to turn into the beloved trees that signaled the border of the Grandinian district a hooded figure stopped me.
" Hello there young friend , had a rough night , ey? You need some crystal dust? I got a real good quality here and because you look so nice i would sell it to ya for cheap , what do ya say? " A male voice reached me from the depths of the hood.
Due to the darkness and the hood itself i could not see facial features , but the height told me that he was either a resident of Celtusi or Quardessia. These 2 realms harbored the smallest people height wise while Lithia and the Holy empire made the middle. Nilheim were the second tallest but Grandinians towered even over the desert people of Nilheim significantly.
" Begone fool don't you see im busy? " I said towards the hooded figure angrily.
As i continued along the way the figure approached me again and again but as i was about to set my companions down i had already reached the trees leaving the hooded one behind. He was keeping 10 yards between the trees and himself but he threw something towards me.
" Here have a sample i bet you'll come back friend. I am here every 2 nights. " He told me and wandered off.
I picked up the bag and continued along the way leading deeper and deeper in the cold forest.
............................................

At early sunrise i woke up due to a snoring figure sleeping right besides my bed and cursed all the gods for my stupidity last night. As i tried to turn i found a sleeping Beatrix inside of my bed , clearly not where i put her last night , so i slipped out without making one sound.
In the hallway a angry maid greeted me. She noticed last nights events and now after i had slept through my dazed head decided to vent her frustration on me. With this kind of attitude she would be perfect for the ... brotherhood ... .
" Now now , Anduim , what was that about last night?" She went with an angered tone right off the bat.
In my mind i breathed a heavy sigh and just took her ranting and venting without attempting to reply once. This went on for a complete hour before she finally had enough of it and resumed her work in the kitchen.
" So , can you tell me what Crystal dust is? " I asked her after entering the kitchen.
While i said that i placed the small bag on the kitchen table and stared at the maid. But as she saw the pouche her eyes became wide and her motions came to a instant halt.
" Get that god damn thing from my sight , before i cut your throat! " She shouted at me.
I was confused but took her warning seriously and stored the pouche away.
" That stuff is a drug. Very addictive and makes the most honorable men become a vile beast. Usually it is snorted up the nose and is forbidden by law. But the enforcers and peace-makers of Lithia don't take their jobs too seriously." She explained to me while preparing food.
" I guess Lithia as the central point for all Kingdoms has its own flaws. But i never heard off it in Grandina. "
She stared at me and i could tell that she picked her words very carefully.
" There are rumors that Celtusi produces this drug and since Grandina is on bad terms with them it doesn't surprise me much that it never landed on Grandina. " She told me her thoughts.
" Why are we on bad terms with them anyways? I already had a fight with a few of them yesterday. "
Again i saw her carefully picking her words before she continued on.
" I don't know the specific reasons but due to small distance by sea , in the past our ancestors surely had battles. " She gave off a rather vague response.
I knew something was off about the whole topic. Surely the sea that separated Grandina and Celtusi was only 4 days apart by sea at the narrowest point but i guessed the maid knew more about it then she was going to tell me. But the strong reaction to Crystal Dust struck me rather odd. But i decided to drop the topic for now.
" So where is the princess? We need to get going soon. "
Now the maid became clearly nervous as she almost dropped the breakfast she was holding. Counting one and one together i found my answer.
" She took Crystal Dust. " I stated in a calm voice.
The maid did not reply but there was no need to. Her body language told me i was spot on so i took the next step immediately.
" My guess is the withdrawl symptoms are drowsiness and exhaustion , right? " I asked her.
I knew that she was well aware of who i was and what purpose i had here since the Queen told me that that i could rely on the maid.
" Yes but also pain , but the truly fearsome thing about this drug is the addictive portion. I have seen a man giving up his life to become a slave just to get his hands on it. " She told me.
Being trained in poisons to some extent , not as much as Beatrix , i could hardly imagine what kind of plants the Celtusi used to achieve such a high level of addictive features. As I knew that the Celtusi and Grandina had not any trade rights connecting the 2 Kingdoms there was small knowledge my mentor passed on to me about the Celtusi. But the fact that the princess had already experienced this unfortunate drug after 2 days on Lithia struck me as odd.
If her majesty's addictiveness to this drug came to light not only would i suffer but also the princess as well as Grandina. Some would call it paranoia , while i called it fore-sight , but i suspected a scheme behind the princesses encounter with this drug and knew i had to do something against it.
" You " I addressed the maid " the princess will stay home today. Don't let her leave the house. Wake her up every 30 minutes and don't let her sleep as much as possible to keep an eye on her. "
With these commanding words i headed towards my room and found 2 people still sleeping inside of it. Being the perfect man i was raised into i lifted up Siegmund while he was still asleep and threw him against a wall before shouting.
" Wake up , scum. Time to go to work! "
Beatrix opened her eyes drowsily as Siegmund awoke abruptly and was prepared for any danger. He eyed the room from left to right and was about to charge a imaginary foe that stood exactly where i stood.
" You calculating Itsuki , one day i'll rip your head off! " He shouted at me before halting his charge that was clearly directed towards me.
" Sweet-talk won't bring you anywhere so early in the morning , brother! " I told him while me and Beatrix burst out in laughter.
.............................................

After setting my plan in motion , while discussing it with Beatrix , i went to my lessons at the Academy. The situation in the classroom was still complicated but i had gained the advantage of knowledge. Having arrived a little late , due to the discussion , the Instructor was there and talked to a few males. But as soon as i entered a familiar voice reached me.
" Anduim , over here. Look i'm right here i held a space for you. Hello can you see me? Hey , Anduim! " Shahirah waved at me.
Only after a few seconds inside the class room her energetic voice called out to me which gave me quite a bit of distress adding up to the already frustrated mood i was in. I resigned to my fate and walked to her in a leisure stride.
" Morning. " I told her.
" Good that you are here. I still want to know what you Iceland people transform into. Come on show me already. I really want to know. "
As i was just about to explain the situation with me the Instructor called me.
" Anduim , you barbarian over there , come down here. I'll show you what it means to be part of a real army now. You 4 over there you are Hyenas show him a lesson that will send his Iceland-ass back where it belongs! " The instructor ranted along.
While i arrived on the grassy field between the podium and rows of seats i turned my attention to the 5 males that approached me. Somehow they seemed slightly familiar.
" Haha , revenge can be so sweet. " One of them , the tallest one , said.
This ' tall ' one was still about 2 head lengths smaller then me and barely reached the height of my chest.
" What revenge , what are you talking about? " I asked.
My innocent voice made the 4 males rather angry as they emitted a golden light and transformed into beasts on 4 legs with dark almost black fur and bead like eyes. Their mouths were opened wide and a crazy laughing sound escaped their throats.
" Now we will rip you apart and send your remains back to your mommy. But not even she will recognize the parts we will leave over ! " The tallest one said.
" I still have no idea what you are talking about. " I tried again with my innocent voice.
This seemed to enrage the cackle of hyenas even further.
" Yesterday in the pub you piece of crap! "
Thinking about it calmly for a few seconds brought the results i needed.
" Ahh those 5 guys i stomped into the ground yesterday! Ahh but were is your buddy? Ohh i forgot i broke his arm ... " I enraged them even further.
Even though these hyenas were bigger compared to their wild living relatives , they only reached up to my belly button with their heads. But i knew these foes were not to take lightly since their claws and mouth could sever flesh from bones easily. Though i knew , due to my mentors teachings , that hyenas were not the fastest runners their efficiency to hunt in a cackle was unrivaled.
To make matters worse their natural ability's combined with the human intellect , even those imbeciles possessed , could lead to my down fall if i was not careful. Thanking my late mentor for his hell style training plus the harsh conditions i was raised in the Instructor shouted " Start" and the hyenas closed in on me.

[Calculatrix]

I read all 3 chapters in one go and I kept noticing something that you did over and over again. It's hard to explain so I'll put an example:
Please keep in mind that I AM NOT a professional at the English language. I am only a native speaker that likes to write correctly and read stories that are written correctly.
(Chapter 3)

"...of the building he just flew out off and...a old metal armor easily."

There are 2 mistakes in this sentence(the periods show the parts of the sentence that I excluded if you didn't already know). First mistake is "...of the building he just flew out off and..." There is only one word that is incorrect but you have done this SAME MISTAKE for about 85-90% of the story. The word 'of'. This sentence should be:
"...of the building he just flew out of and..." I found that you frequently used the word 'off' instead of 'of'.

The 2nd mistake is: "...a old metal armor easily." When you are using the letter 'a' in-front of a vowel(in this case the vowel is 'o'), you change the 'a' into an 'an'. I don't know if you already know this or not, but just in case you didn't already know, now you know. This sentence should be: "...an old metal armor easily."

Another thing: "With this kind of attitude she would be perfect for the ... brotherhood ... ." I'm not too sure if you meant to put the periods in-front and behind the word 'brotherhood', but if you were trying to show that the "brotherhood" is a group of people or something, you should capitalize 'brotherhood': ...brotherhood... --> Brotherhood. Again, I'm not sure if you did what you did on purpose or not.

I also found that you used the lower-case version of the letter 'i'. Whenever you are writing a story or something, whenever the letter 'i' is by itself, it is ALWAYS capitalized. There are other times when it is capitalized, but that is basically what I found what you were doing. You almost never capitalized the letter 'i'.

Also, I wasn't capitalizing the letter while typing this^ is because it looks like an l capitalized-> I (i) l (L)....see?

I am 100% completely assuming that this is a rough draft and NOT a final draft. So, if it was a final draft, you would have to spell out every single number, because when writing you're not supposed to put the numbers in number form, but in letter form.

Other than the several mistakes I found in grammar and stuff, I thought that the story itself was pretty good. My feelings for this are really mixed, so I can't put it into words. However, it wasn't bad.

[superloner]

It seems that his animal form is blocked in his memory.

[larethian]

When you have the 3 words, 'the', 'last', and 'guardian', it plays tricks on my mind

[Tharin]

First of all thank you for all the replies .

@calculatrix : the discrepancys with off and of are mostly misspells and when I proofread it , I seem to miss it .
Now the I and i : I do this on purpose out of the same reasons you do it . The lower case l and capitalized I just look to similar.

@ super loner : maybe it is blocked off but maybe it is something else entirely . What I wanted to express is that his memory from his parents is closely related to the 'shape shifting '

@ larethian: yeah the headline is amazing and if u liked it keep reading , since the headline tells a lot about the story .