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Chapter 2 “Brother…. Duncan….” I heard Fiore and felt her shaking me “Huh,” I said as I groggily rose from the bed “Duncan dinner’s ready, everyone is waiting for you outside…what are you reading?” she asked me “(Err um) It’s a sketchbook of plants” I told a half-truth “I’ll show you tomorrow if you’re interested but like you said everyone is waiting for us” I said trying to deflect from it and hoped she would forget about it. I got up and put the book back in my bag and we made our way down the stairs “(I hope dad hasn’t taught her how to read yet…probably should keep an eye on my notes)” I thought nervously as we got out the door to see the workers and their families with wooden bowls in hand looking at the food with anticipation. Then I saw my father who looked at me and stood up “Thank you for your patience, I know some of you are wondering ‘Why is Wilbur giving us luxurious dinner today? Why did I ask you all to bring your families to this event?' Well, we are here to celebrate

Chapter 1 “Hey, your village is in sight” I heard the driver say, I went to the front of the carriage to look “(It’s a little bigger than I remember)” I thought looking at the various buildings in the distance including some I don’t recognize “(Are they constructing new walls?......and I think the Garrison building has been slightly expanded)” I paused to think “(I wonder how everyone is doing, dad, mom, little sister, grandma, the farm…….I mean I gotten letters from time to time but I hope they’re ok)” I went back inside to get my things ready as the carriage began to arrive in Lycophos. Then the carriage came to a stop, nervously I breathe in and out as I got off and went to the driver “Umm so how much” I asked him “You mean for the trip right? Don’t worry about it, it’s on the house” he replied, “Thank you sir” “Well it’s the least I could do, I was heading this direction anyways for a shipment besides considering you went through…well what every boy goes through….” The Driver

Prologue *Clip Clop Clip Clop* I opened my eyes to hear the horse pulling the carriage I was riding to get back home; it’s been a few days since I was released from the militia and I can’t wait to see my family again “(It’s been four years since I last saw them….my fourteenth birthday….)” I begin to remember the day the militiamen came to get me and any other boys my age to get sent to out for training” (……but some boys won’t come back….)” I thought remembering some kids who died during bandit raids or monster attacks on the villages we were assigned to or attacks on their encampments or monster hunts then I look around the inside of the carriage myself being the only one here, hoping that the others were arriving from different villages and towns or maybe they join the militia permanently. I took a deep breath and carefully went to the front of the Carriage “Hey, driver how long until we reach Lycophos?” I ask the old man who smacks his lips and said “I think about an hour……or two

Chapter 4 We march solemnly back to the village, some of us (Myself included) more slowly than the others, I was currently utilizing a spear-club I borrowed (its original wielder is currently in one of the carts and mine was broken from the battle) as a walking stick due to feeling fatigued. As I walked, the smell of blood permeated the air, the militiamen in the cart groaned in pain as Pollo tended to them, I felt my chest where I got impaled to feel a scar had formed. I decided not to dwell on it for now and focused on getting back to the village and hopefully get out of my blood-soaked armor. Suddenly, before we could get to the village, a brunch of Horsemen arrived: Mounted house troops with heater shields, full brigandine armor, arming swords, spears, and notably the crest of the Elite guard of the Merchant family “(these guys are the Personal guard)” I thought as the Captain went to meet them. The soldiers dismounted their houses and form two lines in front of a single figure

Chapter 3 “Everywhere the mist shrouds the bandits in darkness, My dear girl is in the Town, while I always sleep alone. The pledge of love she gave me has been lost at the dice board, Families laugh at their gain while we are worked to the bone. Alas! I say: I long for my girl and I want my wage.” We sang an old song usually reserved for House Troops or Auxilia as we march down the road then I lean slightly out of formation to see a village in the distance and soon enough we arrived outside its wood palisade and we stopped to rest and eat lunch while the Captain went to talk to the scouts. As I ate some fish Jerky and bread, I heard the Captain and Scout’s conversation “-The last sighting of the monster is in the forest to the east, and that was about a few hours ago so since the monster is seldom to be spotted in daylight it’s most likely sleeping right now,” the Scout said “Hmm, so you’re saying there is a chance we can sneak up on it and manage to kill it without any

Chapter 2 I jogged past various buildings and people doing their daily duties, ranging from a baker taking out a loaf of bread from the oven to a blacksmith admiring his newly finished arming sword “Ah the little Tyke will love this blade” I heard the Blacksmith say. After a few minutes, I arrived at the fortifications, passing the gatehouse (checking in with the guards) then I walk inside to see several buildings, a stable, the granary, building containing the kitchen and so forth “(Ok were are we holding the…)” I thought as I try to look for the crest of my unit then I saw one militiaman running towards the keep in the center “(The Keep!?! Oh…. this is going to be major isn’t it)” I thought as I walk into the keep. As I walked in, I noticed almost everyone was here “Duncan” I heard someone say, I turned to see my commanding officer Pollo “Hi-i Sir” I said nervously “Duncan you’re almost late again, you know you’ll get Dung duty if the Captain notices you’re late to another

A simple hunt Chapter 1 I calmly approach a series of buildings: A brewery, but not for ale or even wine because there would be a significantly fewer House Troops guarding it, no this is for potions be it healing the direst of wounds to giving you enough strength to lift a cow: you just need the right herbs or plants and the skill to refine them. The reason why I am here is to figure out the secrets of herbalism from the Merchant Family of the town I’m stationed at but I can’t just ask them because they are closely guarded secrets and those House Troops are ordered to arrest or kill anyone caught inside without any authorization to, it’s an even bigger risk for me because I’m part of the Republic Militia and my family will get severely punished if I’m caught but I have got a plan, using my wage I bought some ale to be delivered to the guards of the brewery and I timed it so the Patriarch of the Merchant Family will be out of the country on a trade mission to the Empire so he won’t

Ever since contact was established with the long thought lost Empire, the Republic flourished thanks to new avenues of trade with the Empire and new chances of prestige and wealth for the Merchant Families to show their preeminence. This provoked them to create new innovations to sell to the empire, one minor family began tinkering with an old toy imported from the empire that used steam (the others quietly laughed behind their backs thinking nothing notable can come from it) while another family decided to start repurposing their leisure ships (Which due to the presence of sea monster and raiders already had some combat capacity) for military use so they can be sold to the Empire for a profit. Other families began to expand their number of House Troops (their elite and well-equipped bodyguards in charge of guarding their homes and enterprises) by loosening restrictions on recruitment from the Militia (the Merchant Republic’s Military) to booster their numbers and lease them out to

During the fall of the Western Empire, the siege of the Last City under imperial control, the people, and nobility prayed to the gods for deliverance and the Gods answered, with an earthquake that shook the entire world, “I thought the apocalypse had arrived, I closed my eyes and held my sword as tightly as possible, imagining it to be my young boy that I was sure I wouldn’t see again” Unknown Soldier, 0 AC Then when it ended all of the barbarians that were rampaging across the land were scattered and broken by this Calamity. As Empire was attempting to get their bearings reports from allied Towns and Scouts arrived, Creatures…..monsters were attacking the barbarians and anyone else they encountered. “The Gods have come to our aid and now issue us a trial to see if we’re worthy of preservation, we’ve have been given a second chance and WE WILL NOT FAIL” Grand Priest, 0 AC With initiative now in their favor, the campaign of reclaiming the Empire’s homeland from the Barbarians hordes

Part 6 “Arrrgh…….what is?” I said as I woke up my body aching as I move “Careful now take it slowly” someone said as my vision cleared then I saw an old man as I rise from a…….bed I think. “Hey, look at me,” he told me “Alright, Mr. Russet breathe,” he told me which I proceeded to do so “Good, how are you feeling?” he asks “Well my sides and legs hurt,” I said “On the level of one to five how much?” he asks, “I think two to three,” I told him while he was getting some papers as I look around the room I was in to see it was some sort room in a clinic or office “Ok son take a look at this,” he said showing me a diagram of a body with marks on the sides of my belly and upper thighs “You received several lacerations and punctures here and here and bruises all around your body, from what your partner said you’re attacked by a Sabyr Grimm correct?” he asked me as the memories started coming back to me “Yes Sir” I replied “Alright can you inform me what happened?” he inquires “Well we’re