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Burden
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2023-01-17 11:30:25
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The King of Caspian Limits
Chapter 35 - LimitsGarren "Is she getting better? Is she even worth all this training?" Hydra growled, his tone filled with annoyance as he ran his fingers down his snow-white beard. I had been listening to the same debate for the last ten minutes. Hydra being the sole cause for my rising anger since the beginning of this dreadful meeting.He was older than dirt, his face wrinkled from age, his gray eyes dull. His hair was as white as snow. How he managed to stay in the council for the last two centuries is beyond me. Perhaps it was his incessant need to have everything stay the same since the beginning of time that kept him here, knowing that most dragons hated change as much as he did. Or maybe it was just that fact that people feared the stories of his past. Though from the looks of him, I didn't think those stories were true at all. Hydra probably hadn't lifted a single finger in his life. The stories of his past were just that, stories. Not a single scar marred his ebony ski
Last Updated : 2023-01-23The King of Caspian Faith
Chapter 36 - FaithPenelopeThis sword weighed a ton as I forced my arms to hoist the giant piece of metal into the air. I don't know how my cousins made it look so easy to wield anytime I watched them train. Goddess above watching Mildred practically twirl the sword with a single hand was a miracle all on its own, let alone the two swords she had strapped to her waist. "You're still slouching. Push your shoulders back and straighten your spine." Mildred instructed in a bored tone as she leaned against the fence."You know-" I panted, gripping the sword in a death grip, trying to keep the handle from slipping through my sweaty palms. "-I'm starting to think you're just doing this for your own enjoyment. You haven't even tried to fight me yet." Her golden gaze locked on mine, an amused smirk forming at the corner of her mouth."Fighting you right now would be like swatting a fly. You wouldn't even last two seconds. I deserve a better challenge than that. So quit your complaining and
Last Updated : 2023-01-23The King of Caspian Boundaries
Chapter 37 - Boundaries PenelopeI worried my lower lip as I stood in front of Garren's door, rethinking whether this was a good idea or not. In the two and a half months since I had arrived in Caspian, I had never made a move to enter his room. It felt like crossing an unspoken boundary, one both of us weren't sure we were ready to cross. We hadn't done anything since coming back from Kailani. We hadn't even spent much time together after the blow-up we had last week. It felt ridiculous, always overthinking every move Garren and I made. The constant push and pull we seemed to find ourselves in every time we were alone. Especially since we had already crossed a line when he had me screaming his name while he sent me into oblivion, but there was what we did, and then there was what we didn't do, and I wasn't sure if I could handle the weight of that on my shoulders on top of everything else. It didn't seem fair to Garren or me, even though he told me time and time again that I wasn
Last Updated : 2023-01-24The King of Caspian Death
Chapter 38 - Death Garren *Five hundred years ago* The war between the witches and Dragons was going strong. It seemed like it was never going to end. It was even worse than we could have ever imagined. Our relationship with the witches had always been strenuous, but now our hatred toward them was set in stone.They were always after our ancient magic, trying to find ways to steal it to feed their thirst for power. However, not all the witches were as evil as the ones who first attacked us. Some I had grown to know over the years still helped us despite many refusing them, making wards to conceal our location and other types of spells to help heal the sick and wounded. Most of them were tasked with keeping the royal family and our kingdom under the radar. Their loyalties to our family and our kind never faulting in the harshest moments.But even that wasn't enough to stop the inevitable from happening. Not when our own goddess abandoned us and gave the witches all the information
Last Updated : 2023-01-26The King of Caspian New Order
Chapter 39 - New OrderGarren *Five hundred years ago*I don't know how long I sat there with my dead brother in my arms; it felt like hours when in reality, it was most likely minutes. All I knew was that my brother was dead, and I was the reason for it. The reality of what would happen once this war was over, weighed heavily on my chest, making it impossible to breathe. I never wanted the crown, the throne, or the kingdom. I was happy with what I had, thankful for being the second born. I didn't want to enact the age-old tradition my kind had used for centuries—a challenge to the death to claim a title. Suddenly I was consumed by rage, an unfathomable amount of hatred for the witches, Ryuu, and the king of the Underworld. But most of all, I hated myself boiled within me.As our warriors came running to our aid, their faces filled with horror as they looked at my brother and me. One with half a face missing, eyes void of all life, and the other on the verge of mass bloodshed. "G
Last Updated : 2023-01-28The King of Caspian Loyalty
Chapter 40 - Loyalty PenelopeMy heart felt like it had been shattered into a million pieces after hearing Garren's story. So many things made so much more sense now that I know the truth of his past, of his people's history. I stayed with Garren for as long as I could, both of us just sitting in silence, the presence of one another enough of a comfort. Though my mind continued to race with so many questions, ones I would ask him eventually, just not any time soon. After the battle, if I survived. When I won, I corrected.The promise I made, Garren, weighed heavily on my heart. It was a foolish promise, one that I knew held a lot more power than any kiss or bond ever could. But despite not being fae, I would try my damnedest to ensure I held true to that promise. I stayed with Garren until the fire died out, and a knock sounded at his door, signalling that our time was up before Garren walked me the mere twenty feet to my bedroom door, Draven's bedroom door, before he left with Gre
Last Updated : 2023-02-02The King of Caspian Denial
Chapter 41 - Denial Hunter "She's getting better." Lira panted, taking a long drink of water. I kept my eyes on the field, watching the last of the trainees and seasoned warriors clean up our area in preparation for another snowstorm, one of many we would get in the next couple of months before spring arrived. I let out a small grunt of acknowledgment. We didn't have to exchange names to know who we were talking about. Frankly, I didn't even understand why Lira insisted on giving me updates on things I could clearly see for myself. Lira had always been a hard worker, the underdog of trainees. Most of the seasoned warriors had placed bets, betting how long it would take before she up and quit when she first arrived. But I knew from the moment I met her and saw that fire in her eyes, the same fire I saw in eyes of Mildred and countless others who had been looked down on, that she was going to make it. And make it she did. Lira was one of our top warriors running in the second line of
Last Updated : 2023-02-04The King of Caspian Shift
Chapter 42 - ShiftPenelopeIt was happening; Garren was going to meet Kyra, and I was trying my best to keep it together. "Nervous pup?" Lira teased as we put the rest of the training gear away. Today Hunter had us working on offence techniques, incorporating poles and wipes into the circuits to keep us on our toes. To my surprise, I managed to dodge most of the blows lasting the whole round before switching out, and I even got the upper hand on Lira once or twice. It showed I was improving, and I couldn't help but feel a little more confident about the upcoming battle because of it. I had managed to keep my mind busy all day, not thinking about the conversation Mildred and I had had this morning on our way to the training grounds. I was doing good, too; I almost forgot about it until Lira reminded me about it. It wasn't that I didn't want Garren to see me shift because I did. It just made me nervous. This was a time when self-control was everything; if you didn't have a good bond
Last Updated : 2023-02-07
Latest chapter
The King of Caspian Epilogue
Epilogue. *Two Weeks later*"You mean to tell me you learned to do this in six months? Six months!" Hilary panted, dropping the arrow for the sixth time. She leaned down, picking it up with a frustrated growl. I let out a chuckle shaking my head. "Yes, but I was just as terrible as you were in the start, and I only got better because I was forced to spend twelve hours a day training." Hilary scoffed, aiming her arrow at the closet target once again."Plus, you're a werewolf. Which, by the way, is fucking mind-blowing. I don't think I'll ever recover from your weird magical family heritage." Hilary continued."You'll get over it eventually." I teased.Hilary released her arrow, flopping on the ground halfway between her and the target. She tossed the bow on the ground, throwing up her hands. A few warriors who had decided to watch the spectacle unfold snickered, earning a glare from my fearless partner. "I give up. Can we do that sheering thing back to the castle? I think I'm over
The King of Caspian Love
Chapter 56 - Love Penelope The return to my room was a hazy dream. I barely remembered walking there, let alone getting myself cleaned up and into bed before passing out. But I had done all of that at some point, considering a soft knock at my door was now waking me up.I knew at least a couple of hours had passed by from the darkness of the sky above. Garren had reassured me that I would be left alone until it was time for me to get ready for our big debut as king and queen this evening. My family had surrounded me after the battle, pulling me in for hugs, ignoring the blood and dirt covering my entire body as they congratulated me and told me how proud they were. Though my mother did threaten my life if I ever entered something so dangerous ever again, my father and brothers both agreed. Balor, on the other hand, decided to give me a few critiques that earned him a scolding from his brother and sisters. My body wasn't as sore as it was after the battle, but exhaustion still clung
The King of Caspian Slayer of Monsters
Chapter 55 - Slayer of Monsters Garren The preparations for the battle were a strenuous six long month headache that involved endless amounts of planning, enduring countless meetings and trying to steal as many quiet moments with my mate as possible. But no amount of preparation or training could prepare me for what I was forced to witness eight now. Ophir was just beneath my skin, the urge to shift almost overwhelming me as I watched Penelope fight for her life.Everything was in her favour until Delmira shifted, then all hell broke loose, and Penelope went from having a chance to win the battle to being mere seconds away from it all ending. The spell I had made with Solace started to kick in, but I was afraid I was already too late. The pain in my leg and side slowly grew as I siphoned her injuries—enough to help her heal and fight but not enough to kill me. I could take any damage away from her except a strike to the heart or through the head. My magic healed me just as fast as
The King of Caspian Battle
Chapter 54 - BattlePenelope"Breath," Mildred whispered as we approached the ring where mine and Delmira's battle would take place. It was huge, made of stone like almost everything in Caspian. It reminded me of the gladiator arenas back in Roman times, except this one was three times as big to accommodate such gigantic shifters. I had never seen the arena before, apparently all by design to keep me from freaking out, or so Garren told me this morning before leaving to finish the rest of today's preparations. "I am." I ground out. Lira let out a breathy laugh but quickly stifled it as I glared at her. I was on edge, nervous about the outcome of this battle. The same questions circled my head again and again.Had I improved enough? Did I have enough time to train correctly? Was this all a fool's errand? "We have this, Penelope. When we were together, we're unstoppable." Kyra encouraged, trying her best to mask her nervousness too. I took another deep breath as we entered the long
The King of Caspian Closure
Chapter 53 - ClosurePenelope Home, that's what my pack territory should have felt like as I entered through the portal into the Bloodstone territory. Now though, the place where I had grown up, where I had trained and dreamed of helping grow one day, felt anything but that. Almost like it was a distant memory, one that was dulled compared to the memories I had clung to in my head for the last six months. I may have lived in Vancouver for the last four years, but even still, it had always been my place to come to when I needed an escape, to regroup my thoughts and rebuild my confidence for the road ahead. Now though, I felt like an outsider looking in, and the outcast feeling seemed more evident as I walked through the familiar streets searching for my parents and brother.Everyone seemed to stop what they were doing to stare at Garren and me, all casting wary glances in our direction, some even whispering not so quietly about who my mate was and what had happened between us. Gar
The King of Caspian Dragon Heart
Chapter 52 - Dragon HeartHunter Life was a gamble; that was what I had learned in my early youth. Unfortunately, the truth of that statement was made abundantly clear when the war started, and I was hit on both fronts regarding the loss of loved ones and comrades. First, the death of Garren's brother and then my parents, followed by many, many others. I shut down after the war and closed off everyone as much as possible. I was as unpredictable and mean as Falkoor and thought it safer this way.I believed shutting everyone out kept me in control of the demon within. Only trusting Falkoor when Garren was around to help command and keep him in line when I lost control. But it did the opposite. It put my friends and our people at risk of an outburst. So today was meant to change that. The last few months had pushed me to open up more. It forced me to let more people into my circle and ease the grip on my dragon.When Penelope arrived, I thought she wouldn't last more than a week in ou
The King of Caspian Risks
Chapter 51 - RisksPenelopeI stared at Opal, my eyes narrowing as I focused on her movement, from how her chest rose and fell to how her fingers twitched, looking for any tell that would give me a hint of her next attack. Except with the twins, it was never that easy; it was like staring at a wall and waiting for it to speak. Their years of training made it almost nearly impossible to predict or detect anything the sisters were going to do.Opal and Odessa were as trained as one could be, putting even the most trained warriors within the capital to shame. Opal's copper hair dancing in the wind was the only thing that moved as she stared us down. The constant state of unease when fighting her made Kyra anxious. "Steady," I warned Kyra, her presence just beneath my skin. "I know, they're just so-" unpredictable was what Kyra was just about to say when Opal struck. I twisted away from her sword just as Odessa attacked from behind. Two people at once. That was how far I had progressed
The King of Caspian Sacrifice
Chapter 50 - Sacrifice Garren One week, somehow, time seemed to slip by faster than I had ever experienced before. It got lost in the stolen moments with Penelope and in the long and strenuous days of dealing with the council when I wasn't watching her train. The snow had started to melt, the air becoming warmer as it delivered the promise of spring. And with it, a reminder of the battle that we had been training her for was fast approaching.Penelope didn't sleep in her room anymore; somewhere in the last few months, she had made my room her own. I couldn't say I didn't enjoy it; I honestly couldn't remember what it was like before she filled it with her scent and warming presence, and I didn't ever want to. I never realized how much I would love this, love her until I had her, and now I knew that I had to do everything within my power to ensure I got to keep her. It was why I was here now, the last place I wanted to be ever after five hundred years; I hadn't been able to look at
The King of Caspian Distractions
Chapter 49 - Distractions PenelopeIt was strange walking into a room full of humans, all of them none the wiser to the shifters that lived amongst them. I had no idea what this event was for, but I assumed it was for another one of Balor's clients. He was always selling himself, constantly marketing, working an angle to gain new clients and make more deals. Going all out to impress the richest of the rich, and tonight was no exception. An orchestra played on the stage; people danced on the dance floor. Tables littered the rest of the room, While people filled the seats, eating the tiny expensive hors d'oeuvres while discussing their next business ventures and big vacation. Staff walked around with trays of champagne and food. The three giant chandeliers above us twinkled against the crystal jewels as they hung effortlessly from the vaulted ceilings. Ribbon also hung from the ceiling; performers twirled and fell from the long silken ribbon as they entertained everyone who watched.
