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Ritual
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2023-05-08 20:01:26Related chapters
Ryder; Lord of Astaroth Escape
Xanth stood by the window and watched as the last embers of the fire bowl out in the courtyard died down. The whole castle was silent, save for the howling wind which came in every now and then, and the occasional neighing of the horses in the shed. The last guard to patrol the courtyard had passed well over an hour ago, so Xanth concluded that they had retired for the night.“We are in the clear Syrana,” he said to her, still standing cautiously by the window and looking over everything in case he had missed something. He hadn’t. He moved aside as she walked up to the window.She looked out onto the courtyard as she grabbed the window bars with each hand, then she closed her eyes as she began to whisper softly. Underneath her palms glowed where she held the iron bars and the white energy sipped from her fingers and beneath her palms, it flowed into the iron bars, wrapping around them and growing until the iron bars had been completely illuminated by the white energy, and then slowly,
Last Updated : 2023-05-08Ryder; Lord of Astaroth A Wizard's Kingdom
He had called this place Erstonia and had explained that it was the only kingdom to have survived the bitter cold of the north, but as they walked through the cold and empty streets of the city, she wondered if this was what he had meant by “survived”.The place was deserted, cold, quiet, having no sign of life and it sent chills up her spine, causing the hairs on her body to stand on their ends as goose bumps spread across her arms and legs.“People live here,” he suddenly said like he had been reading her mind. “They just stay indoors most of the time where it is warmer.”“It doesn’t seem like anywhere could be warm enough in this kingdom,” Lyra said honestly.“Then you should see the castle, that would help change the way you see things around here.”It was a long walk to the castle but Lyra didn’t feel tired at all. She could not help but feel like the kingdom was a small one if they could walk from the city’s outskirts to the castle in mere minutes.“How large is the kingdom?”“Y
Last Updated : 2023-05-10Ryder; Lord of Astaroth The General's Khione
They journeyed slowly, much too slow and they could be camped in one spot for days. They were a day’s journey from Kilead, positioned on the outskirts of a small village known as Elon, still within the kingdom of Astaroth, and about a week’s journey away from Fang Peek. A week if they continued moving at this pace.But then it could be longer.The men had set up camp and had been here for three days now, food was not a problem as the warriors knew how to hunt and there was a stream not too far from the camp for water. They all seemed unbothered as if the aim of the journey they had embarked on was a mere visit to Fang Peek. As if they were not aware of the god of death trapped beneath and about to break free of his prison.But one person worried, as she had been having some strange dreams and visions lately, something she had stopped having a very long time ago. In the visions, she saw untold horrors, but every morning she would wake in the general’s arms and her fears would fade away
Last Updated : 2023-06-08Ryder; Lord of Astaroth Finding Lyra
Ryder led the group as their horses came to a stop in front of the city, tucked away by the mountains and buried in the snow.“We cannot go in there, Ryder,” Borox said to him, his horse bobbed its head continuously, unable to keep still. “That is the city of Beor, within it is the Erstonian castle where the witch and the wizard live.”Ryder took a long look at the city. “I am yet to see a place where I cannot get into, even if I am not allowed or invited,” he said and urged his horse forward into the city. “I will see what this witch and wizard has to say to that.”The city was cold, desolate, and quiet. It bothered Borox and his group of men but it didn’t seem to faze Ryder as he rode on with determination. He could sense that they were not alone and that they were being watched, but they were not being attacked. At least not yet.“Be on your guard,” he said to the men behind him. “We are not alone out here.”* * * * * * *Royn pushed the large doors open and rushed into
Last Updated : 2023-06-08Ryder; Lord of Astaroth Forest Story
“Vixra tells me we are to leave for Dragonsbane?” she asked Pythias as he stepped into the room that had been assigned to her. She had been provided a red dress, boots, and a black cloak, it had fit like it had been made for her. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror as she admired it.“I should thank the queen for the clothes,” she added, speaking mostly to herself than to the wizard who stared at her through the mirror.“You do not seem pleased,” he said.“I am, ecstatic even!” she beamed and turned around to face him. “But you had said I wouldn’t be able to leave for another week or so, because of Ryder.”“Well, things happen and plans change. Ryder was here yesterday looking for you.”Her smile faded. “He came here? How would he know to come here?”“He is a desperate man and desperate men do desperate things.”She could feel her heart beating rapidly. “Does he know I am here?”Pythias shook his head. “No, but we have to leave now.” he tapped his staff on the floor once. “Are
Last Updated : 2023-06-08Ryder; Lord of Astaroth The Wizard's Prey
She shook her head, not wanting to believe it. “No, I don’t…”“If Ryder were to sacrifice you to that god, it would quiet the rumbling and quakes for another six hundred years,” he said to her. She pulled on the reins of her horse and eased it to a stop just a few feet away from Pythias’ horse.“The quakes are caused by this Osyron?”“And he is not dead, Lyra, he is very much alive. Just trapped by the blood of Khione women sacrificed in the years before.”“But what would happen if Osyron were to be set free? Would that not spell doom on Astaroth? He would seek vengeance!”“I am a worshiper and believer of Osyron, and it is my duty to see him rise again, so I cannot let the sacrifice happen.”“That is why you have taken me, that is why I have come to you. For protection, to be kept away from Ryder and the sacrifice.”“Yes, but it seems that is not enough anymore,” he said with a sigh.She fidgeted. “What do you mean?”He looked her straight in the eye and responded. “I know Ryder, of
Last Updated : 2023-06-08Ryder; Lord of Astaroth The Wizard And The Lord
He knew Lyra could not have gotten very far on her own, though she was Khione, she was an inexperienced one, and the only magic she could do was the healing magic, she had not even mastered the ability to summon and control fire.She was still within Erstonia, that much he knew, but where?Somehow, something about the Erstonian castle worried him. He had the ability to pinpoint Lyra’s exact location but he could not, it could have been because she was not in the castle but he knew that was not it, because while in that very room with the queen and Pythias, he could not sense them even though he could see them. He knew his senses had been blocked.Blocked to keep him from locating a certain someone. He just had not realized it then.“Every female that is not a citizen of Erstonia, with white or silver hair should be killed on the spot, and I want her body brought back here to me.” - He knew the wizard had said that to throw him off, Lyra was already in the castle before he came, Pythia
Last Updated : 2023-10-25Ryder; Lord of Astaroth Death Follows
“It’s been a day,” Iris spoke out. The blizzard was gone now but the snow still fell somewhat heavy so the horses could not run in the deep pile up of snow.“Fang Peek is not a stone’s throw from Erstonia,” Xanth replied to her from the front of the line where he led the group. He turned slightly to face her. “You should know this.”She rolled her eyes at him, wondering how it had come to be that she would be taking orders from him, even when Ryder was here, she still did as she pleased.“Plus there are tons of snow covering the ground, the horses can only go so fast.” Kye chipped in. “But it is time-wasting.”“If any one of you has a flying contraption you can pull out of your pocket, I would absolutely love the change of style right about now,” Xanth replied, he was already getting impatient with those two.“You don’t have to be sarcastic about it,” Kye said and rolled his eyes. “Our complaints are completely justifiable.”“Our?” Xanth asked and turned to face Kye and Iris. “Our? An
Last Updated : 2023-10-25
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Ryder; Lord of Astaroth Extra
“Lord Dixon and lady Annora won’t be staying, they wish to travel the lands, and maybe find settlement somewhere unclaimed.” Xanth said to Ryder as he joined him on the balcony. He had dismissed the elders and generals, taken Iris body to be prepared for burial, settled with Lady and Lord Axeris d’Croix, Ryder’s parents, and arranged with Syrana for her stay and departure the next morning. “They have been away too long,” he sighed. “I can understand that they would feel strange in this place which they once considered to be their home.” “Iris’ body will be buried tomorrow.” he said and then sighed. “Her mother can not be consoled, she was hacking away at Mavrek’s body down in the courtyard outside the castle doors.” Ryder frowned in unbelief and looked at Xanth. “Hacking away?” “With a sword,” He nodded. “It is a mess down there, Ryder.” He looked away from Xanth and leaned on the railing with his elbows, then lowered his head. “Mavrek’s body was never going to be buried anyway,
Ryder; Lord of Astaroth Finale
“He’s killed her too.”He allowed the talk spread around the room without saying a single word as he watched the men talk and whisper among themselves, picking out with his eyes those who believed and those who doubted by the way they reacted to the talk spreading around the room. “How many of you in this very room knew of Mavrek’s journey to Fang Peek and the reason he was going?” he spoke up and everyone hushed.The room fell silent and nobody was willing to give him a reply as they all feared what he might do. He looked around the room once more, studying the expression on their faces, none of them had their heads lifted to meet his gaze and he was beginning to get impatient. He gripped the reins of the horse and whipped it so the animal neighed loudly, stood up on its hind legs, and fell back down on all fours.“How many of you knew?!” he asked again, this time in a louder voice.“All of us knew,” Ulric spoke up. “He had called for a meeting to announce it, but he had known of th
Ryder; Lord of Astaroth Back Home
“That’s Iris’ body in the snow over there,” Tezani said to Xanth in a whisper. It had been a day and a half since they moved from Mavrek’s camp, the warriors journeyed with them as they made their way back to Astaroth. The cold here was minimal but the snow was still thick on the ground. Mavrek shivered in the cold, his body and feet were bare and Ryder had not for once stopped to rest. They didn’t run the horses, Ryder didn’t seem to be in a hurry, and all through the journey, he had kept to himself, even Xanth knew to keep a distance because he knew this ruler of Astaroth was troubled and in pain and anger, but he would have to disturb him now as Tezani had just shown him something.He lifted and fist up in the air, signaling for the troop to stop which they did, then he snapped the reins on his horse, hurrying it up to get to Ryder.“Ryder,” he called out, fishing him out of his thoughts and drawing his attention away.“Hmm?” he hummed and turned his head to face Xanth. He was ti
Ryder; Lord of Astaroth The Villain
"Xanth and I will enter the tent, the rest of you, wait outside, where he cannot see you."They sat on their horses afar off, where Mavrek’s camp was now visible to them, Tezani had led them here and they had found his camp to be exactly where she had predicted it would be. The general journeyed slowly, and it was not just the size of the warriors that slowed him down. He had already spent weeks on a journey of just a few days, it was the general’s pride, to think he could make it to Fang Peek before Ryder would.“His tent would be the one positioned close to the forefront,” Tezani said to Ryder. “And it would be the largest too.”“Good,” Ryder hummed and kicked his horse in the side. “That should give us the advantage of surprising him.”* * * * * * *“General?” a warrior positioned at the tent’s entrance as a guard called out to Mavrek from outside. “You have a er…”Mavrek frowned, struggling to take off his armor. “I have a what?!” he yelled out in frustration, nothing
Ryder; Lord of Astaroth Reunite
“Ryder…” Xanth called calmly as he quietly approached Ryder who was kneeling down by the edge of the ledge. The fiery pit had grown cold and was quiet now and the cave was slowly losing the heat, welcoming the cold.“She is gone,” Ryder said softly and lifted his head up to the cave ceiling. He let out a sigh, folded his lips, and raised his eyebrows, his eyeballs darting from left to right as he felt tears coming. His heart ached terribly and his body shivered. “She is gone,” he repeated with another sigh.Xanth turned around when he heard footsteps running, only to see Syrana and Tezani. Syrana looked at him asking him questions with her gaze, but he just blinked once and looked away from her. She sucked in a breath and her body crashed into the cave wall, she clutched on to her dress around her chest area and slowly fell to the floor as tears pooled out of her eyes.“Lyra…” she sobbed. “My baby girl.”Ryder turned his head to see who had just come into the cave and he saw the white
Ryder; Lord of Astaroth Last Gift
His wound refused to heal and he was losing blood fast, he groaned and leaned on the horse as it slowed down to a gallop, approaching the mouth of the cave. His body felt extremely weak and he wondered what indie must have applied on that sword she stabbed him with that was stopping his body from regenerating.He groaned as he fell off the horse and onto the hard, hot ground. Never in his life had he felt this way, and he hated it, the feeling of being vulnerable as he was now. He knew that if anyone was to come for him, to kill him, they would succeed in that, he couldn’t even muster the strength to use his powers.He managed to get on his feet, leaning against the cave walls, he stumbled further into the cave where he found Borox, sitting up and propped against the cave wall with a small knife wedged into the side of his neck.“Borox,” Ryder called and went to him, crashing on the ground on his knee beside him, he took the man’s hand and had genuine pain in his eyes. The pain of see
Ryder; Lord of Astaroth Stop The Sacrifice
They had all heard the noise, the loud bang from far behind, toward their far left and they had turned just in time to see a mushroom of fire rise up and then die out. The noise had spooked the horses and they stopped riding.“What was that?” Tezani asked no one in particular.“The wizard maybe,” Xanth replied. “But a blast of such magnitude? What is he doing?”“Practicing spells?” Syrana chipped in. “Prepping for a battle.”They both turned to look at her and Xanth’s heart fell, if they could not find Ryder in time and get him to perform the sacrifice with Tezani, then Osyron would break free of his prison and it would be bye-bye to the world as they knew it to be.“What if we can’t get to Ryder in time?” Tezani asked Xanth as if she had been reading his mind.He let out a breath. “Can you go back to Mavrek?”She shook her head and looked down at her horse, she didn’t want to go back to him. She couldn’t. She hated herself for still loving him when all he had ever done was lie to her
Ryder; Lord of Astaroth With Your Child
“They are close now,” Vixra said as she galloped on her horse. She had Pythias riding beside her, Royn and the rest of the warriors rode just behind. “I can sense the girl.”She pulled out the bow hanging on the horse behind her and an arrow, she let go of the horse’s reins but still managed to stay perfectly positioned on the horse. She positioned the arrow in the bow and drew it as far back as she could, closed her eyes and whispered a spell then released the arrow to fly. Without delay, she drew another arrow, whispered the same spell, and let it fly as well.She flung the bow to the side and gripped the horse’s reins, taking control of the animal’s movements. Within seconds, Ryder and his team were within sight. Vixra smirked when she saw that Lyra had been knocked down to the ground, one of the arrows had pierced the horse she had been on, and the other arrow had struck Ryder in the shoulder, causing him to fall off his horse as well.“Do not let them escape!” she yelled out the c
Ryder; Lord of Astaroth Sick
The group traveled in silence with Lyra at the forefront, Ryder just tagging behind her, Borox and the rest of his men followed behind. They had ridden way past the city of Beor and were far away from the Erstonian castle so it was safe for them to just allow the horses to walk for a bit.The landscape was slowly changing the further they journeyed, the snow here was lesser, and from a distance, she could see mountains different from the ones she had been used to seeing in Erstonia, these had no snow covering them and nothing grew in the ground around them.“Fang Peek,” she whispered and felt a chill run down her spine. Fear engulfed her as the weight of what she had agreed to do rested on her heavily. In only a couple of hours, she would be dead, Ryder would head on back to Astaroth and life would continue for them just as normal.She thought of Xanth, the man was softer than Ryder, and a lot more understanding, and yes she would miss him dearly. The last time she had seen him was we
