by The Ranger
She glanced at Richard before turning her eyes to Eren, and after a moment, the three of them returned their attention to Brandon.
"Why don't you request the crown?" she suggested.
"Wh-what? Why me?"
"You defended this place during a crisis, remained in the castle when it came under siege, and fought in defense of your home until you could no longer," Richard listed. "But, above all that, you had Prince Lucian's trust. And you have mine."
"If it's true that our esteemed noblemen would rather hand the throne to an honored nobody instead of risking a shift in power," Eren added. "I don't think any of them would turn you away. You're already doing the job, after all."
"Well, I— I suppose that's something I'll ask about, then," Brandon accepted, chuckling awkwardly. "King… I never would have thought…"
"Well, I wouldn't have either," Eren teased, a smile growing across his face.
The pair laughed, and Richard grinned along with them. For a moment, Khora found herself smiling as she watched them, but the pain returned the instant she let herself relax. She groaned and grabbed her thigh, wavering for a few seconds as she composed herself.
"Are you-"
"Fine," she said, raising her hand slightly. "I'm fine…"
"What about… what about you, then, Khora?" Brandon asked. "What will— what will you do?"
She straightened her back and allowed a heavy sigh before beginning to speak.
"I will wait for Eilon," she admitted. "He believes there is still hope for my leg, that he can still… restore it."
"And if he can't?" Eren questioned.
"Then I find another way," she replied, smiling a solemn smile. "Even if I must journey far from here. The elves… and their shamans… I've read that they can heal any injury sustained by a mortal form. I will go to their cities and seek help there— I will be healed."
"Then what happens?" Eren poked, a quiet hesitation growing in his voice.
"Once that is done… I will go to the Norva. It is time that I finally return."
"Time that you finally return home?" Richard added.
"No," she countered. "I am leaving one home to see what became of another."
Fur tickled the side of her leg, and she turned to find Ranger huddled on the grass beside her. He had not left her side since she was freed from beneath the rubble, and she knew that no one would contest his staying with her.
"And I am taking my friend with me," she announced, looking at the ball of fur lying on the ground. "My… my loyal friend."
"Well, know that you are always welcome at my table," Richard said, extending his hand towards her.
"I know," she whispered, accepting his hand in her own. "I will always know."
She held his gaze for a moment; there was still frustration there, lying between them, and Khora did not know when, or if, it would fade. However, what she did know was that he would stand at her side whenever she needed him in all the time to come. Just as she would do for him.
"Well, I suppose I should start on my way," he sighed, stepping closer to the horse. "Let's go, Dusk."
He hopped into the saddle and straightened himself before looking back at them.
"Behave yourself, Eren," he smiled. "If I hear you're giving Finn or Brandon any trouble, I'll be back."
"Yes, I'm sure you will. Not like you're gonna get lost in a tangle of blonde or anything."
His face quickly grew red, and he turned away from them and towards the road.
"Why don't you keep these ridiculous ideas to yourself?" Richard advised, beginning to ride away. "A tangle of blonde… I can't believe…"
Eren drew closer to Khora as their friend rode away.
"I hadn't asked before," she whispered. "But… how are you feeling?"
"Tired," her friend smiled. "The 'twenty-years-older,' kind of tired. Still, I'm ready for what comes next."
They stood together and watched as Richard slowly left their view. Khora felt conflicted by her goals, but there was comfort in the fact that, even though she knew she could not stay in Azra, she would always be permitted to return.
To my dear friend Richard,
I hope this letter finds you in good spirits. It has been some time since we last saw you in Solton, but I have finally had the opportunity to follow through with the request you made to me. There was some degree of amusement I had in compiling this information for you, as it reminded me of the time I spent educating in Summerstone. Before I get to that, though, I’d like to update you on a few matters, and pass on a few messages.
Firstly, I thought you would like to know that the damage Azra sustained during its incursion has been repaired! I cannot speak to what the kingdom was before, but it seems driven by a newfound enthusiasm. I have had time to inspect it, as I often find myself there for supplies and to commune with the emissaries from Syvon. I see a wish, there, to open the city to magic. It is a wish I am eager to fulfill!
Secondly, I was told to let you know that Azra’s new king was rather sad that you missed his coronation. However, this I did not hear from him, but from his advisor, who also asked that I slip a stinkbug onto this parchment before folding it. As I’m sure you could tell, I did not do that!
The last message is from Captain Finnegan, who wishes to see you soon.
That is all I aimed to share, regarding our local developments. The following consists only of my personal notes. I wish you luck, in whatever it is you seek with this. Please, give Lyla my regards.
Your ally and friend,
Eilon
The Blessing of Divine Light
This Blessing, as you most assuredly already know, is the one that I wield. It is the most common healing magic known to the realm, yet that does not diminish its value. Its power does not lie purely in mending flesh nor dispelling sickness; it can also feed energy to that which lies within every living thing; the soul, the spirit, one’s essence— whatever you might choose to call it. That, in turn, can greatly restore the physical form. This Blessing is also known to amplify the vitality of its bearers: grant a longer life, a greater strength, and sometimes even a more enduring flesh.
It is this same magic that, when corrupted, can bring the Soul Seekers into this world. Where Divine Light can touch the soul, it can also alter it and pervert it. Twist it into a most fearsome thing, but one that can be expected when tainting that which was meant to be good.
There are other healing techniques, of course, but I have trouble calling to mind a restorative magic quite as brilliant as this one.
The Blessing of Fire
Destruction. Great and vast and total. That is likely the thought that comes to one’s mind when it draws to the Blessing of Fire. It is a widespread notion even among my own people; Fuegore, our recognized God of War, is considered to be the patron of all sorcerers who wield this magic. Yet, I know it has more potential than that. While elves are unable to hold Blessings, they can channel Ethereal energy just as we do; I have heard of their shamans using the power of Fire to burn away disease, banish darkness, and to purify and perfect their own crafts. It gives me hope that there is still much for us to study and learn from them.
However, I will admit that it would be understandable for you to feel the way most do, knowing what it is you faced. As much as I’d like to tout what Fire might be able to do, there also remains what it is most commonly used to accomplish. It can be a treacherous thing, a power that can rage in a manner not even its wielder might be able to direct. It is a might that could swallow the realm.
The Blessing of the Deceiver
Now, I will share with you a bias of my own. The Blessing of the Deceiver opens the path for, what I believe to be, some of the most dangerous magic to ever grace this realm. Long ago, I learned of a sorcerer who defeated armies, conquered kingdoms, and turned the hearts of nations to his side— all with his words. Because, you see, this Blessing is capable of more than meager illusions that prey upon our sight; no, it can entrap the mind, ensnare the hear
t, and tell tales that any who hear will be compelled to believe.
Of course, it must be said, that the number of illusionists that could produce such skilled acts are few and far between, but that does not change the reality of this magic’s capabilities. Some call this power ‘the art of the silver-tongued.’ Take that as you will. All I ask is that you be wary when dealing with any wielder of this power.
Acknowledgements
I started writing Prince of Azra sometime around the 12th of September, 2019. I finished writing it at 2:25a.m. ~ the night before Thanksgiving that year. (Ironically, I finished the first draft of this book around 3:00a.m. the day before Thanksgiving 2020, but more on that later!) After wrapping up the bulk of Prince of Azra, I gave myself less than a week to edit it. At the time, I had a goal: to release/publish my first book before I turned twenty-one. And, I did it. What would become the first edition of Azra came out literally the day before my birthday, after just two-and-a-half months of working on it.
There were plenty of problems with it and plenty of causes to these plentiful problems, but I was happy and, at the time, more than a bit oblivious. Around March 2020, I wanted to start working on what came next, but I had realized there was a lot wrong with my first book. I decided to fix it. Little more than two months later, I released the second edition of Prince of Azra. While I couldn't amend everything without changing the book's foundation (something I refused to do) I did what I could and was pleased with the results.
Right after that, I began working on this title, The Sworn Defender. However, I was obstinate that this book would not be like its predecessor; I would take my time, do things right, and there wouldn't be more than one edition. I started working near the end of April, and I finished writing its first draft on the 25th of November. Seven months, with nearly another month of editing to create its second draft. I'm proud and happy with what I made, but this is different from its predecessor in more ways than that.
To say that I wrote this story without any help would be the most blatant piece of fiction that could be included in this book. There were so many people that helped drive me and helped push my thoughts and ideas further than they would have gone on their own. It is those people that I want to appreciate.
First, I want to thank my friends.
Kylee was there with me before I even started writing The Sworn Defender, back when it wasn't more than a handful of loose ideas and a few lines of dialogue I had jotted down. It was on a phone call with her that I decided this story would have a new point-of-view in the character of Eren. I find it hard to believe sometimes that the idea wasn't part of my original plan.
My friends Johnathan and Gabriel come to mind next. They both felt like a constant presence throughout my time writing this, even though the latter of the two was three-thousand miles away for the bulk of the process. It was a common thing for me to snap a picture of a passage or a quote and send it Gabriel's way. He would give me his thoughts on whatever I showed him, and I would try to provide him with context without spoiling anything. Chatting with him about whatever happened in some of our favorite shows was also a delight during my breaks from writing and classwork.
Johnathan was a similar case, except instead of excerpts of a passage, it was usually a three or four-hour phone call. I'd reach him and share the section I was working on, the context behind it, and my aims with the whole thing. I've known him since kindergarten, and we've lived less than a block from each other our entire lives. He's been familiar with the world these stories take place in longer than anyone else, I think. He was a springboard for many of my ideas. When I was particularly excited about something, it felt good to hear that same eagerness in his voice.
There are two cousins I'd like to show some appreciation to: Steven and Ethan. It doesn't always happen that you get along well with members of your own family, but I've been close to Steven for nearly a decade. When I was done writing for the day, it was usually with him and some of our mutual friends that I'd take a break with. We would hop on Discord and connect through Steam to play all sorts of great games, made only greater by their company. Steven is also the person who helped me get into digital art media, and he was the one who designed the images for the Blessings just before this section.
Ethan is a younger cousin of mine. He was among the first in my family to read Prince of Azra and was incredibly encouraging throughout the writing process. He was another person who would sometimes receive an excerpt here or there and give me his feedback on it. He also was quick to 'volunteer' to be an early reader for this book. No threats of physical violence were involved in that decision. I promise.
I would also like to show great appreciation to a former teacher of mine, Mr. Raphael Rodriguez. With the disaster that was 2020 and the ongoing consequences that have come of it, along with his full-time teaching job and his responsibilities to his family and neighborhood, he still offered to read The Sworn Defender and have a chat with me about it before I self-published. It wasn't until after this meeting that I felt ready to move forward with my final review/proofing pass of the book and was confident that my story was ready. It was also in his filmmaking class that I learned of various themes and storytelling techniques that I feel have influenced some of my creative decisions.
Lastly, and most importantly, I have to thank my mother and grandmother because without them, I know with no small degree of certainty that everything I have done and accomplished could never have happened. At times, it is due to their strength and unyielding resolve that I can do what I do because anything less would be not just a failure of my own but a failure to live up to the example they have set for throughout my life.
About The Author
The Ranger
The Ranger, much better known as Michael, possesses an avid love for all things nerdy and can often be found working his way through a video game or enjoying a nice movie. When he’s not deeply invested in some show, he might be looking into a new board game or organizing his fiercely coveted Chaotic card collection. When deciding to be productive, he can be found cleaning up his website, plotting notes, or perhaps even writing a story he hopes you will enjoy someday. He was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and considers himself a fan of history.
To keep up with upcoming projects and other news, follow him on Twitter @TheRangerman1, or visit therangerbooks.com.
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