by Brian Simons
Alua uncorked the potion and drank it. It tasted like raspberries, unlike the energy potions she had drunk before. What an unnatural flavor for something blue. Oh well. It only replenished a small amount of her mana points, but it was better than nothing. No sooner did she finish the drink than Harold had his hand under her chin. He turned her face toward his and peered into her eyes. Under any other circumstance she would find that invasive, but instead she noticed for the first time how green his eyes were. They reminded her of her divine tattoos.
“And now we return to Havenstock. I take it our friend here can’t teleport?” Harold said, gesturing toward Grum.
“No,” Cedril said, “so we have to walk back. We should be home by nightfall though.”
“Onward,” Harold said and they walked due north.
As Harold walked ahead of them, Alua wondered what he had said in Galbrag’s house to put an end to Havenstock’s zombie problem. He must be a better negotiator than she realized. And he was really quite handsome, even at the end of such a long day.
“Can I buy you dinner when we get home?” Cedril asked.
Grum walked between them, supported by Cedril. “I’m very tired already,” she said. “Thank you for the offer though.” It was the most polite way she could think to decline. She had no desire to spend time with the Januarian Acolyte. All those times they had eaten dinner across a candlelit table and talked about the gods, the kingdom, the skills they had unlocked. What did she ever do that for?
“It should be smoother terrain soon, once we hit the marshland,” Harold said.
He was right. They were very close to the marshes now. He was always right. And brave.
“Can we rest?” Cedril asked. “As Grum gets more tired he’s getting harder to help along.”
“I’ll take him,” Alua said, helping Grum put his arm about her. “You do look tired, Cedril. If you wanted to teleport back to Havenstock I wouldn’t blame you.”
“Of course not,” he said, “I’ll finish the journey with you.” He reached down to hold her free hand but she yanked her hand away just in time.
“Are you ok?” he asked.
“I’m fine, but I don’t want to give you the wrong impression. All I want is to go home. Perhaps you should just teleport along.”
Cedril’s face fell. “If that’s what you want,” he said. “I’ll plan to come visit you in the castle tomorrow morning then.”
“Please don’t,” Alua said. She kept her eyes facing forward. She couldn’t bear to look at Cedril’s sad face. Was he always so sad looking?
Cedril stopped walking. When Alua looked back, he was gone. He had teleported. What a relief. She hustled Grum a few paces to walk next to Sir Harold.
“That was an impressive battle with the witch,” she said. “I only wish I had been able to see more of it.”
“That witch was no match for me,” Harold said.
Alua put a hand on his upper arm, her fingers chilling against his cold metal armor. “You weren’t hurt, were you?”
He shook her hand off his arm. “No, and don’t touch me. Don’t ever touch me.”
“Of course,” she said. They walked in silence through the marshlands, past the sprawling farms south of Havenstock, and into the city. Before long they entered the castle together.
Harold turned to Alua and said, “You go. I’ll take Grum upstairs.” Alua nodded and walked away. She should never have expected him to warm to her so quickly after how rude she had been all day. Why hadn’t she been more accommodating?
***
That moralistic Medium deserved everything she got, Harold thought to himself as he carried the ogre in his arms. The green thing coughed up blood and phlegm as they ascended the stairs. What a vile creature.
The guard outside the throne room seemed repulsed by Harold’s green companion. “The King will want Alua for this meeting,” Harold said, hoping to get rid of the guard. “Fetch her now before he gets angry. It’s late enough as it is.” The guard did as the head Knight asked.
Harold opened the large wooden door and closed it again behind them.
“Sir Harold,” the King said, looking alarmed at the sight of the diseased ogre. “Explain this.”
Harold dropped the ogre to the ground. It puled like a colicky child. “This savage is proof that the ogres are an inferior race that have no place in Havenstock. They sent this one back with us because they couldn’t cure it. They have no medicine, no organization, no hygiene.”
“I told you to show mercy to their people, but you are incapable of it!” the King shouted. “I had hoped to make a leader out of you yet, but that was folly. You aren’t even fit to be a Knight!”
Harold was enraged. “How dare you!” he yelled. Who was this man, anyway, to command an entire kingdom? He stared at him a hard second and saw that he was a Level 62 King. How pitiful. So averse to fighting that he barely leveled himself up in the three hundred years he commanded Havenstock. If Harold ever had that much power, he would make sure he got to a sufficiently high level to keep it.
“How dare I?” the King replied. “You have the audacity to yell at your King? You are a skilled warrior, but set a terrible example. I should never have let you lead the Knights. Your blood runs too hot with hate. You, Harold, are a disgrace.” The King knelt down next to the ogre and put a hand to his nick. “This man is barely alive. Take him to a healer at once!”
Harold took the wad of herbs out of his inventory and threw them at the ogre, scattering them on the floor. “Healing herbs,” he said. “Eat!” The ogre scooped the herbs into his mouth, barely pausing to chew as he ate.
Now might be Harold’s last chance to turn in his completed quest and claim his XP reward. It was paltry, but it would bump him back up to Level 54. “I took care of our zombie problem, Your Highness,” Harold said as the ogre scrounged up the remaining leaves and stems strewn before him. “It is the last errand I ever run for you.”
Quest Complete: Undead End
Reward: 500 XP
>> Congratulations! You have reached Level 54. You have no skill points available.
The ogre started to foam at the mouth. The fuddlemint was kicking in. It jumped off the ground, oblivious to the illness that wracked its body. It pounced on the King, throwing its arms and legs around the King’s front and knocking him back. It sank its teeth into his neck. That’s when Harold saw one of Alua’s daggers tucked into the ogre’s belt. He stepped forward and took the dagger.
The King flailed as he tried to throw the ogre off of him. He rolled over, flipping the ogre onto the floor. When his back was turned to Harold, Harold stabbed the King from behind, aiming for his heart.
>> King Frederic takes 1,782 Damage. [BACKSTAB]
The King arched his back in pain, surprise, or both. His HP was low, but not gone. Harold crouched down to finish the job.
“Havenstock,” the King said, barely getting the word out as blood dripped from his mouth. Harold must have pierced a lung. “Create. A council. To rule.”
“Hardly,” Harold said, and sank the dagger into the King’s back and left it there.
>> King Frederic takes 654 Damage. King Frederic dies. You receive 95,000 XP.
What a fool, a ruler who wore no armor. So easy to kill.
Harold unsheathed his sword and held it out toward the ogre, trapped under the King’s dead body. He kicked the King off the ogre and watched the creature jump on top of him. Good, Harold thought, get some blood on you. A minute later Alua and the guard came to the throne room.
As the door creaked open, Alua screamed. “Sir Harold! Are you ok?”
“Yes, Alua. This ogre attacked the King. I was not quick enough to stop it.”
The castle guard grabbed Grum from the floor and restrained him. The ogre’s head was lolling around as if he didn’t know who or where he was.
“With his dying breath,” Harold said, “the King asked that I lead Havenstock. It is a heavy burden, but of course I have no choice. I will serve a
s Regent. Guard, assemble the King’s courtiers for a coronation ceremony first thing tomorrow. And throw this ogre to the dragon.”
Class Change: Regent
You are now the Regent of Havenstock. Your actions will determine whether the kingdom maintains peace and prosperity or whether it devolves into hardship and despair.
The Chief of State skill tree has been unlocked. You begin your reign with the skill Issue Orders (Basic) unlocked. You may issue orders related to any of the resources currently at your disposal: royal guards; courtiers; taxes. Additional resources may become available as you progress.
***
Alua backed up against the wall and slid down to a sitting position. The King was dead. It was King Frederic who saw her potential as a Medium, who encouraged and nurtured her. And now he was gone.
King Frederic was kind and wise, came a voice in her head. It was Januar. He will take his place in history as a great king.
Does that mean he won’t be reborn? Alua asked.
He will not respawn. The life he left behind was worthy and complete.
Tears welled up in her eyes. King Frederic was gone forever. She spun her thumb ring on her finger and wondered what had possessed Cedril to give her this. She wanted to take the silly thing off, but something stopped her. It was like her heart was torn in two directions and threatened to tear in two. No, she would keep the ring. A day with so much lost begged for something kept.
What a bewildering day. And what was it that the swamp witch had said? “Clarify your mind?” There was no need. Her mind was crystal clear. Havenstock had a new Regent now, and she would need to serve him well to assure his success.
If you enjoyed reading Broken, join my mailing list for updates on new releases, sales, and freebies –— including free short stories in the Travail Online series.
Don’t forget to leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads! It’s a quick but effective way to help books and authors succeed!
About the Author
If Brian Simons were an action figure, he would come pre-equipped with a coffee cup jammed into one hand socket and an e-reader in the other. A former barista, corporate attorney, and health educator, Brian has finally started writing down the stories that have bottled up in his head.
Brian’s LitRPG stories are inspired by the never-too-many books and video games he has consumed his whole life. You may find him in a café near his Philadelphia home writing, reading, and worshiping a cup of sweet, sweet coffee.
***
Make sure you’re on Brian’s mailing list to receive updates on new releases, sales, and freebies. Sign up today on his website!
http://www.thebriansimons.com
Titles by Brian Simons
Travail Online: Soulkeeper (Book 1)
Travail Online: Broken (Short Story)
Travail Online: Resurrection (Book 2)
Ripcord Online
Join the LitRPG Community!
If you enjoy books that pretend to be video games, these are the three Facebook groups to join for LitRPG news, humor, and recommendations for what to read next!
LitRPG Group
LitRPG Society
LitRPG Books