by Jez Cajiao
“I’m proud of you, all of you.” I said at the end, receiving smiles and nods, embarrassed glances, and half salutes as I made eye contact with them all one by one, before turning to Oracle and Bob. Oren and Cai had long since joined the others below.
“Thank you, both of you. Oracle, you’re my friend, my soul-bonded companion, and my compass, and you, Bob? You’re my friend as well. You‘ve got my back, and I know I can rely on you, always. I had no fear in asking you to get the captain and his lackeys. I knew you’d do it, if anyone could. Thank you again, both of you.”
I stepped forward, feeling Oracle fly into my arms and cuddle into my neck as I gave Bob an awkward one-armed hug. He looked down at me for a long moment before jerkily wrapping his left arms around me and squeezing until I felt my ribs creak.
“Okay, Bob!” Oracle gasped, disentangling herself from us. “That’s enough!”
Bob released me and returned to standing by my side, watching the crowd, but as I looked into his glowing eyes, I swear I felt something more. He was definitely becoming… more.
I turned to my notifications, bringing them up and flicking off the ones that dealt with the fight, experience earned, and other minor details, until I found the one I was looking for:
Congratulations!
All invading creatures that could contest your Right of Ownership to the Great Tower of Dravith have been slain or captured!
Do you wish to assume full ownership of the Great Tower of Dravith?
Yes/No
“Ah, Jax… maybe…” Oracle warned, but it was too late. I’d already mentally flexed that muscle and clicked ‘yes’.
Attention, Citizens of The Territory Of Dravith!
The Great Tower of Dravith has been claimed by a worthy aspirant of ancient bloodlines!
All Titles, Deeds, and Laws in the Territory of Dravith are hereby held for review, and can be revoked, altered, annulled, or approved.
All Hail Lord Jax of Dravith!
I paused for a second, reading the prompt that had sprung up, overriding my choice to gleam in the center of my vision. Where other prompts were hazy and elegant, this held all the subtlety of a sandpaper condom. It turned the edges gold, with a solid black plaque in the middle. The words gleamed like rubies and shone until the reader had fully read the prompt. Only then would it move, adjust, or dissipate.
I had visions of people riding on horseback, or flying the Airships, or hell, having sexytime, and that had popped up… Then the second prompt appeared. Like the first, this one overrode my desires and just appeared.
This time, it took the shape of a roll of parchment, sealed with a glowing sigil. I felt it pulse and somehow know it had come to me directly, as something only I could read. I looked at it, acknowledging its presence, and it unrolled. Its message was simple.
To the pretender ‘Lord of Dravith’…
I am High Lord Barabarattas, Lord of the City of Himnel and true Lord of Dravith!
I am already crushing the fool Rewn that dared to raise his head from the City of Narkolt. He has Airships and armies…what do you bring to the field?
It matters not; I have already laid claim to the Tower of Dravith, sending troops to secure it. When they arrive, you would do well to surrender, or you will feel the tender mercies of my pet, Toka, all the way back to Himnel.
I give you one chance. Surrender now, renounce all claim to MY property, and I may make your death swift!
You have one hour to comply; else I declare a state of War exists between you and I.
Barabarattas
I read the scroll repeatedly, hints and half seen images slipping into place in my mind. I grimaced, and the scroll pulsed in my vision.
Do you wish to send a reply to: Barabarattas of Himnel?
Yes/No
I selected yes and gasped as two hundred health and mana was sucked out of me without warning.
“God damn it! I need a wiki!” I groaned, taking a deep breath and straightening up before returning my attention to the scroll before me. I knew my Tower’s condition, and the extent of my troops, all eight of them...But I still knew what I had to do.
To the asshole ‘Lord of Himnel’…
I am Jax, Lord of the Great Tower of Dravith, and I know who you are. I’ve read the memory stones in the Tower, I’ve seen the creatures that populated this relic, and I’ve faced the creature you were feeding.
Send your troops. Send your Airships and your armies. I’ll slaughter them as easily as I killed the SporeMother!
I’ll offer you a chance in return, Lord Fucktard.
Surrender, and run. Run and hide, and pray I never find you!
For the sake of the child whose remains I found, I make this oath:
I will make you pay for their deaths; I will kill any who dare to keep you from me! I will rip off your head and shit down your neck!
I reject your offer of an hour. I hereby declare war on you, Lord Fucktard of Himnel!
I’m coming for you.
Jax
P.S. Wear something nice. I’m going to make our first date memorable!!!
The scroll curled back up and vanished, and I stared daggers at the space in front of me. It lasted barely a minute before a final prompt arrived, again overriding my settings. This one took the form of a flag. Standing tall before me, it unfurled to the right as though blown by a stiff breeze, every word on the flag easily legible.
War!
War has been declared and acknowledged between the Great Tower of Dravith and Himnel, Prior Capital of the Territory of Dravith.
Civil wars are always messy. Consider well the side you choose. Your life and more could rest on the roll of the dice.
“Wow, Jax, you really know how to win friends…” Oren said. I looked down, seeing the looks of fear and surprise on the faces of the people standing around.
“That asshole sent you here. He was feeding the SporeMother, and I can only guess what he’s done to the rest of the population. If this is how he treats his own citizens, he deserves what’s coming to him,” I growled. My anger, which had been simmering since finding the remains of the little girl, now fully blistered to life where they could all see it.
“Oh, don’t get us wrong, Lord Jax, we’re with you…” said Barrett. “It’s just that normally the conversations that Lords have like that are… more polite and kept private. You must have blasted that out to everyone in the land!”
I frowned and looked at Oracle, who winked and blew me a kiss.
“You did that?” I asked her.
“I figured we could do with everyone knowing what was happening; and besides, there’s nothing in there for you to be ashamed of. If anything, I think you might get a few more followers for this. Did I do wrong?”
“Hell no.” I said to her, grinning back as I imagined the asshat’s face when he realized everyone had read that response.
“Okay, people, let’s get a move on! As of now, we’re at war!”
Epilogue
Thomas woke with a start. The door to the dungeon banged open, and the sound of armored boots stomping down the corridor reverberated in his tiny cell. He instinctively tried to burrow deeper into the rotten straw pallet that was his only comfort.
“Up, worms!” a voice screamed, and he jumped to his feet, frantically trying to ignore the pain of his sores and his infected leg. He staggered, but managed to right himself in time, pushing himself against the rear wall and facing away from the doorway with a strangled half sob of terror.
“Please, please, please don’t…” he whispered, tears carving new paths in the dirt that coated his cheeks.
“You’re all in for a treat! Your great and merciful Lord Barabarattas has decided to show you mercy! Not that ANY of you deserve it!” a new voice bellowed, the echoes of the dungeon making it hard to understand. “The great city of Himnel is at war, and with war comes the chance for advancement! Even to scum like you!” The voice dropped but was close enough that Thomas could still make out what was
being said.
“Get them cleaned and dressed. Their past as mercenaries makes them useful here, even if they are just fodder for the walls. Once they are clean, take them to the wagons outside. They’re to be taken to the seventh camp. Once they’re in the camp, they’re no longer our problem. Let Banta break or make what she can of them…”
With that declaration came the sound of several people marching back the way they had come, and the jailor screamed out at the prisoners again.
“You scum! You worms! You don’t deserve this chance! You’ve all earned your places here. You deserve to rot here ‘til you die, and I won’t give you up that easily. Oh, no! You belong to me, rabbits! I’ll be taking you to your training, and I’ll be bringing you back here when you fail! You’re scum, and you could never, ever be good enough to lick the boots of a real soldier!”
The jailer strode up and down as his men grabbed Thomas and the rest of the prisoners, dragging them out to stand in the hallway. Chains bound their wrists and throats, ensuring that those few with the strength of muscle or the ability to cast were kept under control. As the jailor passed Thomas, he twisted around and lashed out with his club, breaking a rib and making Thomas cough blood. He half fell into the man behind him before being roughly dragged upright. The gleam of hatred in the jailor’s eyes as he leaned in close was clear, as were his foul breath and borderline insanity.
“But you, boy? Oh, we’ve got special plans for you. We’ll make sure you fail, and then me and the boys will get what we was promised! You took our lad from us, got him kilt. Well, we know the truth! Don’t care what you say! You got him kilt, so we’re gonna return the favor, but not before we cut off your hands and feet and take those pretty eyes! We’ll send them to him, burn them at the temple! Next life, only way you get to do anything is if HE decides it! Eternity paying off your debt!”
Thomas screwed up his eyes, forcing himself to gaze at the floor as the jailor got another hit in before moving on. He’d learned since they’d caught him, that fighting back, speaking, flinching, any response at all, just made things worse. He had to just take it, and eventually they’d get bored and leave him alone. Today was different. Today, he stood his first chance of surviving the shit pot his life had become, and he was going to make the most of it. Trapped down in the dungeon, a magical field blocked all access to his abilities, preventing him from sleeping, even healing properly. Hell, even his notifications were blocked, not that he wanted to know how many bones were still broken.
No, he’d do whatever he had to. He’d train; he’d kill whoever needed killing; he didn’t care anymore. The past didn’t matter. The future didn’t matter. All that mattered was survival.
If all he had to do to survive was help Himnel conquer someplace? Hell yes. He’d do that with bells on.
End of Book One
Reviews…
Basically, it’s like this; IF I get a lot of good reviews, it’ll make it more likely that more people will read my book, meaning I’ll be able to afford to dedicate more time to writing a second and third book etc.
I’d love to be able to write more for you, I really would, but the costs mean I need your support to do so, luckily for you, it’s easy to do! All you have to do is click on the link right here….THE LINK OF DOOOOOOM... and then leave a review! If you want to share the details with your friends and maybe encourage them to give it a try that’d be fantastic, but seriously, a review would be amazing!
Thank you
Thank you for reading my first book, I really hope you enjoyed it and will be joining me as the adventure continues!
Feel free to get in touch with me on Facebook and ask me questions or talk about the book, I’ll answer all I can.
Jez Cajiao
LITRPG!
If this book has whetted your appetite for more LitRPG, please have a look at the following, these are brilliant series by brilliant authors!
Ascend Online by Luke Chmilenko : https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01M01ET8E/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
The Land by Aleron Kong: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0172GEB68/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1
Challengers Call by Nathan A Thompson: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07FFDY22C/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i4
SoulShip also by Nathan: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07X7GWGMN/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3
The Ashen Plane by Maxwell Farmer: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B085L1WJPK/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
Primeverse by R K Billau: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07ZPZC66J/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1
Endless Online by M H Johnson: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07CSVWFNP/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3
Tower of Gates by Paul Bellow: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07CRWBPZJ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i4
There’s also a few really active Facebook groups I’d recommend you join, as you’ll get to hear about great new books, new releases and interact with all your (new) favorite authors! (I may also be there, skulking at the back and enjoying the memes…)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LitRPGsociety/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LitRPG.books//
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LitRPGforum/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/gamelitsociety/
