Fure led Haki to the Throne room where Kutsunga awaited only he was now dressed in a sturdy leather jacket and pants.
Standing next to him were several servants, one of whom handed Haki a hefty leather bag.
The servants checked Kutsunga's gear as he stood with an expression which Haki found distasteful but he chose not to express that.
He also wondered if Kutsunga knew of Maranam's existence and, as if she could sense his concerns, she spoke from within his mind.
[While he is aware that my sisters and I exist, he has never seen any of us as we tend to guide only those who are most likely to compete for the Ruler’s Charge.]
Haki unthinkingly nodded and this finally got Kutsunga to turn his half-closed eyes to the young man.
Fear came first.
He was afraid he was going to be hit again but… there was also a desire.
He glanced at the Throne and wondered what it would be like to sit there.
To rule.
To have power over one’s own fate…
That’s what it meant to be a lord to Haki.
His eyes returned to those of his father and while he still felt fear, he also felt a strange patience wash over him.
He would learn what he could from Kutsunga, wield the power of death and do whatever it took to gain his freedom.
True freedom.
Kutsunga led Haki out of the palace and into a carriage where the two sat in silence as they rode out of the palace which stood as an extension of the throne within.
And, by virtue of this fact, the region of Ardhi was Kutsunga’s Throne as well.
So the person who held the Ruler’s Charge would have the whole world as the Throne.
An amazing concept but it was a little too ambitious for Haki who glanced at the palace as it got smaller and smaller as they rode along.
Haki felt as though his true throne was the comfy bed he had slept in and it brought a smile to his face.
“What’s so funny?” Kutsunga growled while leaning forward.
“Mmm? Oh- sorry. Its just… your house… it’s nice.” Haki hesitated and this surprisingly didn’t earn him a kick in the face.
Instead, the lord leaned back and let out a deep sigh.
“That ‘house’ is the home of the Ardhi noble bloodline and has witnessed the birth of four Emperors including the very first.” A look of pride took Kutsunga’s face.
“It was Emperor Tarron who raised humanity from the ashes, uniting every man, woman and child in building civilization as we know it and jt has persisted for a thousand years under the rule of ten Emperors. You will be the eleventh.” Kutsunga’s eyes narrowed on the boy.
Haki nodded making Kutsunga scoff as he leaned back, looking out of the carriage.
“Now, to snuff the seeds of pride and whatever other insidious thoughts are taking root in your mind, you were far from the first option. Prior to you, a handful of your half-blood brothers came to the gates of House Ardhi after I tracked them down but they were all so pitiful and worthless that I immediately deemed them unfit of even attempt to claim the Ruler’s Charge.”
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
Haki’s eyes narrowed a little.
“Where are they now?”
Kutsunga’s face remained unchanged as he dragged his gaze back to his son.
“They are dead. I killed them.”
.
..
After hours of travel, the two eventually reached the edge of a forest which was several dozens of kilometres north of Ardania.
The carriage stopped on the edge of the forest, where the vast grasslands ended and its here that Kutsunga and Haki disembarked—their forms dwarfed by the gargantuan trees which, instead of leaves had dark, thorny vines which draped from their branches.
“If not this humble servant, another will come to this point to receive you when the last snows begin to thaw, your grace.” The carriage driver bowed before riding off, leaving Haki with his father whose frame seemingly rejected the warmth light of the setting sun.
Haki swallowed before glancing at Kutsunga who glared at the forest with an equal amount of animosity.
It’s here that some words began to appear above the lord’s head.
[Name: Kutsunga
Race: Human
Coalescence Level: 25
Health Points: 340
Willpower: 125
DPH: 25
Defence Rating: 10%
Equipment: [Training Garbs] (+9% DR), [Hidden Dagger] (24DMG)
Skills and Spells: [Healing Touch] (1W-, +10HP), [Vineal Snare] (-5W), [Vitality Surge] (15W-, +50HP), [Gentle Water Stream] (1-,0DMG), [Gentle Rain] (5-,0DMG)
Artefacts: None]
Haki’s brows furrowed.
[Those are your father's abilities and statistics.]
*Oh? Am I the only one who can see them?* Haki asked internally.
[Only those who are guided by the Cycle can see the abilities of others. As ordained by the Third Emperor, who used the Ruler’s Charge to make that a reality.]
*Did you… guide the others too?*
[Yes.]
*Why didn’t you use your Goddess powers to save them?*
[Again, I am limited in what I can do in the physical world beyond offering guidance and my sole blessing.]
*Damn…*
Kutsunga let out a sigh before sitting down on a nearby rock.
“Go. Survive for six days. On the seventh, I will find and test you. You should know that the Forest of Briars is where the empire keeps all manner of creatures for the sake of conservation and as targets for aspiring warriors. In your back is a Steel Dagger and a single Health Potion.”
Haki stood frozen for a moment with widened eyes.
“Frightened?” Kutsunga scoffed.
“What? Of course not, o-old man! I’ll show you!” Haki stomped towards the Forest with clenched fists but stopped before his fairly small frame could slip into the shadows.
His knees buckled and his heart raced with fear but before he could even think of stepping forward, Kutsunga kicked him in the back, sending the boy tumbling into a cluster of spiky bushes which just so happened to be covering a hole in the ground which he immediately fell into.
He let out a series of pained cries as he crashed into several stone surfaces which he could see less of as he fell further down.
He tumbled further and everything grew progressively darker along with his vision the further down he went.
At this point, too many of his bones were broken and he was bleeding profusely.
After what seemed like an eternity, he eventually stopped falling and, even though his vision was beyond blurry, he could make out something that seemed almost to incredible to be real.
Looming before him, bathed in light that seemingly has no origin, was a city.
A gargantuan city of stone but Haki was in far too much pain to appreciate the intricate carvings on each surface and the pillars that kept the bedrock above the city in place.
The pain steadily began to fade as his body grew cold.
[Health Points: 1]
Haki let out a weak whimper.
His chance at something more was slipping.
A warm bed, good food.
Gone-
[This… was the helm of a forgotten age.] Maranam appeared in front of Haki, clad in white smoke.
She then turned her eyes to the half-dead boy as she sat.
[There is still a chance.] She whispered.
Haki let out a groan in response.
[The world you want is right in front of you.]
She disappeared, revealing the bag Haki had been given.
His eyes widened a little upon remembering what he’d been given.
He painfully reached for it, ignoring the Agony of every movement.
He then pulled out the potion and poured the bitter liquid into his mouth.
[Health Points (HP): 11]
Haki gasped as he felt some of his bones fuse as they slid back in place.
[But…] Maranam’s voice echoed endlessly as the ground began to shake.
[You must be willing to sacrifice everything.]
Haki’s already wide eyes quivered as seven gargantuan creatures rose from the ground, breaking the land around the city.
They stood over twenty meters tall, were like humanoids only they were on all fours, has pale, stone like skin, crocodile like heads and wings that hung limply from their backs as limp stubs.
Each of them held gigantic broken swords which they used to hoist up their ruined bodies.
One of them limped forward and let out a deafening Roar which made Haki shed all tbe tears he’d been holding.
[Name: ???
Race: Undead Dragon Warrior
Coalescence Level: 100
Available Cycle Shards:0
Health Points: 1290/1290
Willpower: 1/1
DPH: 200
Defence Rating: 80%
Equipment: [Broken Ancient Sword] (100DMG),
Abilities and Spells: [Draconic Might] (+100DMG), [Stone Skin] (+80% DR),
Artefacts: [Dragon Heart] (+200HP)]
