Zeal Legacy 2: A GameLit RPG Fantasy

by Riker Kane

  His length throbbed hard inside of her. He wanted to give her every last drop of his seed. With how much she moved against him and impaled herself, he could tell Mirella wanted it just as bad as he did.

  They came together until their desires left them completely. They stayed wrapped in one another’s arms, floating in the peaceful water.

  Curious, Clayton stayed in his position for as long as he could before swimming back to the surface with Mirella in his embrace.

  A deep gasp filled his burning lungs but he still smiled from the experience. “Wait a second… Did you know I could hold my breath for so long?”

  “I assumed you could.”

  “I could’ve drowned you know. Just for some sex…”

  “Would you have regretted it?”

  Mirella’s smirk was a side of the Azurean he’d never seen before. He grinned back at her and nodded.

  “Don’t tempt me.”

  “Come. We must rest. Shara awaits us.”

  Clayton watched as Mirella climbed the side of the ship. Even though his desires were satisfied, the shape of her body was hard to ignore. He stayed in the water for as long as he could until the cold finally got to him.

  “Shara,” he sighed.

  Chapter 24

  Zeal Blade

  Core Level 10

  Passion of Consort Faith - Vigorous: The blade requires less stamina to swing

  Passion of Jalise the Sage - Torrid: Flames can be channeled from the blade

  Passion of Regent Magne - The Queen’s Touch: More essence is gathered from creatures defeated by the blade

  Passion of Monarch Velour - Intoxicating Thirst: Dealing damage with the blade absorbs essence and heals minor injuries

  Passion of Queen Ixia - Rigid Bark: At the cost of stamina, the blade creates a shield, blocking all incoming attacks

  Passion of Rena Ordain - Brisk Rhythm: The blade grants the ability to quickly dash short distances

  Passion of Kailani - Deep Thrust: Leap into the air and strike the blade into the ground with force

  Passion of Iris - Heel Worship: A powerful kick that temporarily stuns

  Passion of Queen Izumi - Breathless: Hold your breath underwater for extended periods of time

  Passion of Mirella - Wetness: Water can be channeled from the blade

  “That should be useful.” Clayton sheathed his weapon then looked out toward his destination. Even though he’d never seen it before, he was sure the city of Shara laid before him.

  Sitting right along the coast, the grand city appeared to be carved right into the mountainside. The buildings glistened white like pure ivory and lined with gold. The intricate medieval architecture was apparent, even from a distance. Massive walls seemed to stretch for miles around the city with giant ballistae to protect from even flying invaders. Above the town, there was an ivory castle that dwarfed the Regent’s Keep in Nalore. It didn’t matter how big the city was. Every square inch of Shara looked like it had been polished to a sparkling shine.

  “Look at that,” Clayton sighed. “It looks like it took ages just to gather the materials to construct that place.”

  “Fancy,” Kailani said. “I guess that’s why they call this place the Grand City of Shara.”

  “What do you know about Shara, Mirella?”

  “I only know it is home to high elves. Azure has gleaned much of its knowledge from the city. I have no doubt their advancements in science and technology compare to my kingdom.”

  “If they’ve got all that fancy technology, maybe they can figure out how to fix my sword.”

  The trio stood on the railing of their ship as it slowly floated into the port. The elves weren’t any different from the ones Clayton had seen in Nalore. Tall. Short. Fat. Skinny. Men, women, and children. Skin as pale as his own. Others tan like Kailani. Some pink, reminding Clayton of Rena.

  He could feel the eyes on him and his shipmates even though they hadn’t set down anchor yet. They docked and there was a stubby elf waiting at the pier. The elf poked his glasses up over his nose, tapping his foot against the ground like he had better things to do.

  Clayton and the others exited the ship.

  “Hello—”

  “Who are you? What the hell are you doing here?” The elf’s gruff voice caught Clayton off guard.

  “Um… I’m Clayton Brooks. This is Kailani and that’s Mirella. I’m looking for some friends. And a blacksmith. And maybe some help against the Maledict—”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down there. You’ve got a laundry list of demands. You can’t just sail into the city and start asking for all of that.”

  “I’m not demanding anything. I was just looking for some information.”

  “Likely story.” The elf was about two-feet shorter than Clayton. He tilted his head and looked down his nose at Clayton. Clayton scrunched his face in confusion then turned to Kailani and Mirella, who were just as puzzled. “We’re having some trouble with outsiders. Even peons like you… You’ll have to deal with King Luger himself.”

  “Peons? You can’t call me a peon—”

  “Guards! Take these people to the king!”

  “What…” Clayton looked around just in time to see the elves flanking him. There were more than 10 of them, each one of them donning a full-suit of thick, pristine armor.

  One of them pointed their sword at Clayton. “Come with us.”

  Kailani sighed and shook her head. “Can we visit one place where they’re not pointing their weapons at us on arrival?”

  ~ ~ ~

  The Great Hall of the castle standing high above the city of Shara was just as extravagant inside as its exterior indicated. White marble floors. Pure ivory walls. The intricate glass chandeliers alone were the size of entire rooms.

  Clayton looked up at the light shining above him then toward the elven knights lining the room. They stood at attention, their swords at their hips and their shields in front of them. Not a single one of them looked like they were breathing underneath their pristine armor.

  He trailed his eyes up the red carpet before him, up a few steps to where a pair of thrones sat, one of them empty. Next to the other, a wispy, gray-haired elf in expensive-looking white regalia cleared his throat.

  “These three just docked into port. Clayton Brooks. Mirella. Kailani.” He spoke with the kind of haughtiness Clayton expected from him.

  The elf in the throne seemed less arrogant and formal. He slouched in his seat, his belly stretching his red linen top. Even his matching silk pants looked like they were several sizes too small. If it weren’t for the crown on his head and the fact he was sitting on a throne, Clayton would have thought he was some homeless drunk or maybe the village oaf. The ornate golden throne seemed comfortably wide enough to house him.

  The elf scratched his thick, bushy black beard and furrowed his just as bushy eyebrows as he examined Clayton.

  “Would you like me to jail them, your highness?”

  “No, no, Faulk…” The fat elf in the throne said, his voice ragged like he’d just woken up from a night of drinking. “These people are different. I can tell they are. Let them speak.”

  “Very well…” Faulk turned back to Clayton. “You stand in the presence of King Vondo Luger, ruler of the Grand City of Shara, the greatest kingdom in all of Green Terra, commander of her armies and champion of the people. State your business.”

  “Hey. My name’s Clayton. These are my companions. We’ve come to Shara looking for help.”

  “Help,” King Luger scoffed. “Of course you have. How come nobody ever visits and brings me gifts? Just a nice little trinket or bauble. Something to eat. I appreciate food… Then again, I can’t expect much from a guy who shows up here in his underwear.”

  Clayton looked down at his armor. He’d gotten so used to it he didn’t realize the difference between him and the elves surrounding him until now.

  “We didn’t come here to cause any trouble,” Clayton said. “We don’t even need your help ex
actly. We just need information.”

  “Information? And how am I supposed to know you aren’t spies from a foreign land?”

  “Spies?” Kailani scoffed. “Do we look like spies?”

  “It’s always the ones you least expect.”

  “King Luger,” Clayton said. “We’re not trying to cause any trouble. I’m looking for someone and they might be in this city—”

  “I’ll tell you what. I’ll let you look for whoever it is you’re looking for. You’ve just gotta do me a couple of favors. Deal?”

  “I guess—”

  “Deal! Faulk, take them to the kitchen. Let them deal with our little problem.”

  “Yes, your highness.” Faulk stepped down from the throne and walked by the trio. “Come with me.”

  “The kitchen?” Clayton said. “What kinda favor is this?”

  Mirella and Kailani both shrugged with the same puzzlement they’d had on their faces since they arrived.

  ~ ~ ~

  The white-haired Faulk stood next to a doorway inside the bustling castle’s kitchen. “One of the sous chefs got careless with a bag of mushrooms from Great Horn. As a result, we have a bit of an infestation. Take care of the infestation so we can end the quarantine in this room.”

  Clayton squinted at the elf. “What kind of infestation are we talking about?”

  “I haven’t seen it for myself but the guards instruct me they are water roaches.”

  “Water roaches? You want me to go down there and kill some cockroaches?”

  “If you refuse, you can get on your ship and sail to the next city. I can assure you, your journey would be quite long. The choice is yours.”

  “Well… I’d say I’m above being an exterminator but if that’s what it takes…”

  “Splendid.” Faulk pushed the door open and stepped aside.

  Clayton pulled out the Zeal Blade and descended into the darkness of the pantry. Just a few steps and he could already smell something was wrong.

  “I guess it’s not as bad as the sewers,” Kailani said.

  “Let us complete this task quickly,” Mirella said.

  “Hey, I’m not looking to spend any more time in this dank pantry than I have to.” Clayton moved forward through the pantry. It was larger than most, which wasn’t surprising given how large the castle was. He was looking over the stores of moldy bread on the shelves when he felt something near his foot. He quickly raised his leg and pushed it down on top of something crunchy and squishy. “Roaches…” He trailed his eyes on the floor and saw more of them skittering around the floor. “This will be a good chance for me to try this out…”

  He raised the Zeal Blade up to his face and focused. The sound of splashing filled his ears as water began to surround the broken blade. He aimed the sword forward and a powerful stream blasted the roaches across the floor, splattering them against the wall.

  “Hmm… That was stronger than I thought. I guess I’ll just hose ‘em down.” Clayton whistled gleefully as he continued to spray down all of the roaches.

  “Uh… BB…”

  “What is it?”

  “Do you hear that?”

  “Yeah. Roaches. I don’t know how many of them there are but I’ll drown ‘em all.”

  “I don’t think you can drown ‘em all…”

  “Why not?”

  He lowered his weapon and saw the concern on both of their faces. Mirella lowered her trident and pointed into the darkness off to one side of the pantry. Kailani had both of her daggers raised.

  Clayton replaced the water around his blade with fire and aimed it into the darkness. “This is always fun…” He stepped forward and the skittering of all the roaches stopped. He laughed then turned around. “You guys had me worried for nothing—”

  “Look out!” Mirella quickly grabbed Clayton and pulled him away. He turned around and saw a roach the size of a cow come toward him.

  Mirella rushed forward and impaled the face of the roach with her trident. Kailani had no room to leap but still managed to get on top of the roach to stab it. There was nothing quite like the scream of a giant roach. And Clayton was in a hurry to quiet it.

  “Quickly!” Mirella said. “Cut it down!”

  Clayton dashed to the roach and stabbed it in its side. Its shell was thick but eventually gave to the broken blade. Its dark blood gushed out and made Clayton grimace. “Ew…” He turned his head away and continued to dig his sword in. Then he slid it down the roach’s body, slicing its insides apart. He moved around the entire roach with his sword in it until the insect finally stopped moving.

  “That was… gross.” He wiped the roach blood from his bare chest. “I really should get some new armor…”

  ~ ~ ~

  “Ungh… Disgusting.” King Luger stuck his tongue out and shook his head. “Maybe I should put you back on your ship so you can bathe in the Great Sea.”

  “We did what you asked,” Clayton said. “We exterminated the roaches in your pantry. Now can we—”

  “Not so fast. That wasn’t the only favor I needed. There is something else you must do for me.”

  “What is it?”

  “I have an important package coming from the city. It must arrive in perfect condition. I want you to ensure its safety.”

  “Um, can’t you get some of your soldiers to do that? I mean, you’ve got an entire army at your disposal.”

  “Beatrice would scold me if she learned I used knights for such a task.”

  “This package… If it’s so important and you don’t trust me, why would you make me deliver it?”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll have an escort making sure you don’t try to steal it.”

  “But the escort can just deliver the package to you—”

  “BB.” Kailani put a hand on Clayton’s arm. “He’s the king. Let’s just do it.”

  “All right,” Clayton sighed. “One package in perfect condition.”

  ~ ~ ~

  “What do you suppose is inside?” Kailani asked.

  “It does not matter,” Mirella replied. “It is the king’s. We will get it to him.”

  “I think I smell something…”

  “Don’t go near it.” Clayton balanced the small yellow box in his hands, firm enough for the contents not to shift inside. “We made it back to the castle. I’m not about to have you break this thing now.”

  Delivering the package proved to be more worrisome than actually difficult. Clayton held the box in his hands as he walked through the city, though he didn’t have much time to appreciate the scenery. Along with the king’s personal escort, he was able to get back to the castle.

  King Luger slouched in his throne but when he saw Clayton enter the Great Hall, he quickly sat up as much as his fat body could shift.

  “Oh… You’ve arrived. Take the package, Faulk. Give it here.”

  “Would you like me to deliver it to—”

  “No, no. Bring it here. I need to make sure it’s what it is.”

  “Very well, your highness.” Faulk took the box from Clayton and placed it into King Luger’s eager hands. Clayton and his companions all raised their eyebrows in curiosity as he lifted the lid. The look in King Luger’s eyes indicated it must’ve been some type of treasure.

  “Ah,” the king sighed. “Nice and fresh.” Clayton squinted as Luger lifted the contents from the box. He watched as the king took a bite out of it, the metal pan now clear in Luger’s hands.

  “Wait a second,” Clayton said. “You needed an entire escort to deliver you a cake?”

  “It’s not a cake.” King Luger smacked his lips and took another bite. “It’s a pie. The starberries are fresh this season. You have to eat it while it’s still warm.”

  Clayton turned to Kailani and Mirella. At this point, the two were so numb to the mundane tasks they didn’t even react.

  “Okay,” Clayton said. “I’ve done what you asked—”

  “Hold on a second.” Luger licked his thumbs clean then closed the box. �
��There’s something else I must ask you to do.”

  “And what’s that? Dirty laundry? Paint your room? Or maybe a pig’s ass needs to be washed?”

  “A pig’s ass always needs to be washed. But no… There is something else. Something dire.”

  King Luger wiped the crumbs from his mustache and beard and gave Clayton a stern look. “I need you to go to the Yellow Tombs to the East. There you must acquire some drake herbs.”

  “Drake herbs? You gonna use that to season your pie?”

  “The herb can be ground into medicine. There is a sickness going around. They call it the Lunar Cough. The doctors tell me if it’s not contained, it will spread through the entire city. Production will fall as many will be unable to work.”

  “This actually sounds important. Why me? Your army seems more suitable for this.”

  “It is not a job for the army. The tombs are narrow and tight. Fitting only for a small group. Every expedition we have sent so far has not returned. I trust you will not fail me.”

  Clayton turned to Mirella. “Even if this is not his last favor, we have an obligation to help if we can,” she said.

  Kailani nodded in agreement.

  “Okay,” Clayton said. “We’ll go to the tombs and get the drake herbs.”

  Chapter 25

  The giant roach had granted Clayton a single level. Undecided on the stat point, he decided to save it for later at the risk of losing it if he perished.

  “I can see why they call this continent Green Terra but why the Yellow Tombs? Is it just because of the paint job?” Clayton’s question was ignored by the king’s escort as they marched away from the city. The green valleys were lush with wide open spaces as in Nalore. He could see how far the land stretched in every direction. The Great Sea he just sailed on off to one side and ominous mountains in the other. There was a great forest that reminded him of his time with the dryads.

  But the escort moved away from where he looked and led the trio toward a narrow ravine.