The elves used no mounts. When you think of a fantasy elven kingdom, you imagine elves riding griffins, pegasi, even wyverns. Knights in shining plate with mithril lances soaring in the sky, a deadly and magnificent formation.
No, they had nothing. Not unicorns, not even horses. When an elf needed to get to a place, they did so on foot.
Another thing to the list of things to change in this Kingdom. We MUST have griffin cavalry.
MUST.
But right now I was glad we didn't have that. Because almost nothing could beat on foot. Scratch that. So dude with Grandmaster {Running} or {Dashing} would catch up to in no ti. After I saw my HP and MP grow tenfold by getting one Skill in the master ranks, I don't doubt anything.
Much less my Luck score. Because all my previous stunts were flukes. When I fought these demons, scratching them to death, I was literally doing exactly that. Scratching them to death. Because they had HP in the hundred millions or even billions. Yup. One day I'm going to face a golem army and despair when my insta-kill {Vorpal Bite} doesn't work.
Where was I?
Yes, the exile village.
I walked out of a tree on the village's outskirts. {Tree Stride was convenient and I could get anywhere in this pre-urban world but it lacked precision. Badly. It was unlikely that I would ever lose my bearings. I just needed to fly up and take a panoramic look.
The exile village was not too big. Set in a secluded corner of the forest away from other races, it had a retirent ho feeling. The elves went on with their day without care. Haste was a forgotten concept here. I lifted the hood of my cloak and walked into the village,
An elf approached, maybe a [Greeter] or sothing like that? "Welco, my lady. Can I help you?" He asked, modulating his voice slightly to show he wanted to know if I was an elf.
It was sothing only we could do. The dyad voice, two notes at the sa ti proved one was an elf or at least a bard. "Greetings, brother. I'm interested in knowing the place. Could you show around?"
"Ah. Yes, of course. What brings you here? Are you seeking a peaceful life, perhaps?" He asked, hinting if I was an exile like him.
I chuckled, "I wish. If only they let , I'd gladly spend a thousand years here. But no. I'm here to learn about this village and the people that live here. It is sothing I should know if I am to properly fulfill my duties."
He gave a knowing smile. "Your... duties. Yes, why not. I'm called Alr, milady. Who might you be?"
I didn't want to fool him. I removed my hood. "Well t, master Alr. I'm Alloralla."
Alr opened his mouth and gasped almost inaudibly, "Pink." Then he knelt. "Your Highness. Welco to our humble village."
I tried to keep him from doing that but I was too slow. "Stand up. Please."
I looked around and knew it was too late. These damn elves had too good hearing. The other exiles left their huts and approached. Maybe I shouldn't have dyed my hair pink with chaleon, but it was second nature by now.
At least my mark ca out as well. Sariandi walked out of a hut wearing a simple elven dress. By the elegance she wore it, nobody would suspect she was a thousand-year-old lady. After greeting the few dozen elves that ca out, I walked to the clearly embarrassed archmagister. Forr. Whatever.
"Hello, Sariandi. I'm back," I bead as I approached and hugged her. She was stiff. "What's the matter? Seeing a ghost? I can swear I didn't die this ti. You know, between now and the last ti we saw each other."
She trembled. "Alloralla. Why are you here?"
"To fetch you, silly. You might've quit the council, but you are still my magic instructor. I have great plans for you," I leaned to kiss her cheek and whispered in her ear, "And by the way, I settled that debt I inherited."
"You did?" She was still in disbelief about the whole thing. A mischievous side of wanted to phase and go through her to play a prank.
I nodded, "With all five of them. Including the one, I t at the lake all that ti ago. I might've also prepaid for a few years."
She was almost breaking down, "Alloralla, I'm sorry. I--"
I put a finger on her lips. Then I withdrew that finger and blushed because I was getting a bit horny with all this skinship.
"That's a {Royal Order}, Sariandi. Let bygones be bygones. I need you and just as I fulfilled my duties, you must be brave to face what's coming."
"And what's coming?"
I let go of her and pointed in the direction of Forestheart. "First of all, a knight squad intent on bringing back to my gilded cage. But I'm done playing the princess in the tower."
"Are you willing to take the next step?" She asked asuring her words cautiously.
"What is the next step? How does this regency thing work? Can I be declared of age before the due ti? And who exactly decides the due ti?"
She grimaced and shook her head. "It is all in the Council's hands."
I was tired of those crooks manipulating the whole nation. But I needed Sariandi on my team before I made my final move.
"Yeah. We'll see about that. Can we sit and talk?"
"Sure, this way."
I sat and talked with Sariandi for an hour. She explained to that there was no law specifying when a Princess could ascend to the throne and the succession happened when there was a vacancy. Because of my particular situation, the council exercised its powers to state that I should be under a regency until I beca two hundred years old.
That's when the knights ca crashing into the village.
"It's showti, Sariandi. You'll co with , right?"
She sighed. "It would be easier if you told what you intend to do. Overthrowing the council will lead to civil war. Sentints are divided between you and them."
"So I just have to eliminate them, right?" I asked with the most faux innocence I could muster.
She shuddered, "Please. You're the Death Princess. When you say 'eliminate', I understand murder."
I cackled like a villain. -Ness. "Oh. Death is too good a punishnt for them. Our escort has arrived, let's go et them."
Once I walked out, I saw the "commander" with his knights - my wardens - behind him. Boy, he looked pissed. As soon as he saw a whiff of pink hair, he started to bark.
"Princess Alloralla. By orders of the Council, you are to--"
As he proclaid whatever bullshit he ant to say, I sucked in a deep breath and let my [Bard] Skills project my voice. "{Royal Order}! Shut up all of you and KNEEL. {Royal Geas}! You are to obey as your Queen."
I went for the non-lethal option but I forgot to set my targets. So the whole exile village was caught in the range of my abilities. Including Sariandi. My SP went down by more than a hundred thousand as I had to pay for everyone's Soul score, but all of the elves were affected without a single one resisting.
The exiles knelt. Sariandi soon followed but the knights had mixed results. Half of them knelt, the other half fought the geas and dropped down unconscious. I felt a few pings in my banshee {Sense Living Sentients} perk. Rangers probably.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from . If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
"Know this, elves of Fulgen," I declared, projecting my voice over the forest, using both my bardic Skills and wind magic to amplify it and send it miles away to all who wished to hear. And I shalessly quoted a favorite line from Diablo and so others.
"I am Alloralla, First of my House and rightful Queen of Fulgen. Take heed and bear witness to the truths spoken herein. My birth was a tragic one. My mother, Queen Thaorllara was sacrificed by cultists in an attempt to summon the third Demon Lord. I t my death at the cultist's dagger still in the womb of my mother. Due to my special abilities, the energies of the ritual were lost and it went awry. I perished that day and beca a banshee.
"For fifty years I wandered the underground until the knights found and brought back. The mages and the archmagister did a ritual to bring back to life. The council, however, spread lies and falsehoods, keeping imprisoned all this ti. Now I return. Here I stand, in the light of day. Let the storm rage on those that oppose ."
Then I let the mic drop. Silence reigned in the forest.
"Sariandi, stand," I said after a minute.
"Yes, Your Hi... Majesty. I live to serve," She replied with a hint of mirth in her voice.
"Exiles of Fulgen. You are free to return to Forestheart with . Should any of you wish to stay, you are welco to. Once I'm done pacifying Forestheart, I vow to lend you my ear the first ti I hold court. Follow , those that are true to the Forest. I lift the geas on the exiles and Sariandi."
The exiles all stood up.
"Knights. Gather your fellows. Your geas stands until such a ti you've proven your loyalty to beyond reproach. We walk back to the Forest."
I focused on my will and wove my magic. Sariandi felt it and raised an eyebrow. I hadn't told her I was now Master rank in Elentalism with an affinity. What I wanted was to give us a speed boost to return earlier.
"{Tailwind}!"
As our group moved through the forest with the wind at our tails, we were joined by rangers and druids that were within hearing range. I'd regained so MP and had over seven hundred thousand in stock. Should be enough for geasing the whole council even if I had to pay the tenfold cost. I tested with Sariandi and she had a Soul score of twenty-three. Quite high considering she hadn't the stat unlocked and the base value for everyone was zero.
We crossed into Forestheart and the clearing was crowded with elves. Nenandil was on my shoulder. A lot of bows were trained on us. The council was coming, walking leisurely to greet us.
"So, the upstart usurper returns," councilor one said. "Do not be fooled. That hag took over the princess' body. Yes. The one before you is not princess Alloralla but the Old Soul that took over her body."
I didn't take my eyes off of them. I raised a hand behind to stop those that were following .
"Stay where you are, guys. Sariandi, I leave the protection of our group to you. I'm going to rewrite Fate, as usual. This is my fight, this is my stage."
I recalled my etiquette lessons back when I was Apricot. I straightened my back and walked ahead. I used my abilities to project my voice over the entire city and suppress the council. I could feel the old crooks already weaving their magic to dispel mine. I had just a minute.
"This is the mont of truth. Elves of Fulgen, I ask you to not spill our brethren's blood. All shall be explained in due ti. This is between the corrupt council and . I am Alloralla. I am also the Old Soul, the sa one that fought at our Forest's outskirts to defend our hearts. However, there's one falsehood in what they say. I didn't take over this body. I was born Alloralla. Such is my fate. I was away these years fulfilling my duties as a mber of the Royal family. I ask you to--"
They dispelled my spell and wove another to suppress . Now it was my turn to waste MP overthrowing them. There was one disadvantage though. The council was very proficient in group casting. I would be fighting an uphill battle.
"She is a liar!" They cried. "We couldn't excise that abomination from the princess's body and tried for a while to work with her. But now she brings treason upon our doorstep. That's no elf.
Reviews
All reviews (0)