Then there was the fact that one wrong word could have cost the lives of the whole tribe. The queen as she called herself had a controlling presence about her that reminded him of his domain. He had tried numerous times to make use of it, but he had failed to utilize anything more than its passive boost. Sure he was a bit more aware of his body and immediate surroundings, but that was the extent of it. With her though, it was different. Almost as if the air was at her beck and call, ready to obey her will. He shuddered as he remembered the feeling of helplessness in her presence. Even in his delirious state, he knew that she was not to be trifled with. So far he had managed to avoid obvious subservient behavior, but he would have no choice but to yield if she demanded it. The other issue was the rest of her herd. Every single one of them was Copper, but they already felt beyond what he had achieved, perhaps well into their next Grade or Gate. Whatever the queen had in mind for him, he would need to be careful.
Noah rounded the grove and was immediately joined by a pair of bucks who escorted him through the tall grass. Here we go. They passed through the herd, most of which had bedded down as they waited. Noah wondered if they all spoke like Jeline, or if she was more advanced in some way. The queen was standing in a small clearing of trampled grass and looked appraisingly at him as he approached. His escorts paused at the entrance of the clearing, but Noah continued forward. There were several snorts of protest that were cut off by the queen’s glare.
“Noah. You decided to join me.” She said, her voice delicate and light.
“I did, though I realized I do not know what I am joining you for.” He replied. The queen smiled, a decidedly cute expression on a deer. Noah had to try hard to take the encounter seriously as cartoon deer played through his mind.
“You will come and live with me. I like the sound of your voice, and I could use a friend.” She said. Noah scratched his head. Interesting. He smiled.
“That’s nice of you. Do you have a time frame in mind?” He asked. There was a moment of tension as if the surrounding deer had all held their breath.
“Until I say otherwise, of course.” She replied, her pleasant demeanor never shifting. Noah frowned but decided to keep his thoughts to himself.
“All right then. Do you live nearby?” He asked, looking around. There was a chorus of snickers and snorts, and even the queen let out a bemused chuckle.
“We do not live in the woods if that’s what you mean. We have a run ahead of us, our kingdom’s capital is a half-day journey from here.” Jeline explained. Noah’s cheeks flushed, perhaps for the first time since the System’s arrival. I am losing my mind. They began their journey at a brisk pace, which quickly became a dash, and then a sprint. Noah strained to keep up with the herd, but quickly lagged behind. For the first time, he thought he understood what it felt like to be Ta’Ku. He couldn’t even complain without making himself a hypocrite. Just invest in constitution, Ta’Ku! Don’t eat for days, Ta’Ku! Noah grimaced as bile rose in his throat. He forced it down. Perhaps this is a test. They want to see if I’m worthy. That must be it. He gritted his teeth and sprinted for all that he was worth.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Jeline held back a laugh as she glanced at Noah. How cute. One of her maids approached her, interrupting her thoughts.
“My lady.”
“Yes, Dalia. What is it?”
“I don’t think he is going to make it.” She said. Jeline looked again, noticing the deep red of his face and the torrent of sweat trailing down it.
“He’ll be fine.” She replied. Dalia’s mouth hung open for a second before snapping shut.
“Yes, milady.” She said before dashing away. Jeline giggled to herself as she considered picking up the pace. Feeling merciful though, she opted to maintain the current speed.
Noah’s legs were numb and his lungs were burning. But he felt alive. As hard as it was not to puke, something about being pushed past his limit really did something for him. He also found himself more and more amazed by the deer. Sure they had four legs, and were built for speed but they were clearly holding back for his sake. As he was considering their prowess he suddenly frowned as a question formed in his mind. Why are they not on the leaderboard? Jeline was undoubtedly stronger than him, so why had he never seen her name? Just in case, he pulled up the leaderboard.
[Global Ranking System.]
- Malentar Stoneskin-Drakon: Copper, Lvl 180
- Recter Jandon-Drakon: Copper, Lvl 175
- Noah Denter-Human: Copper, Lvl 169
- Ta’Ku Gordrak-Orc: Copper, Lvl 160
- Ro’Kar Bloodspike-Orc: Copper, Lvl 158
- Ne’Ja Huskar-Orc: Copper, Lvl 158
- Balkendar Italifi-Elf: Copper, lvl 155
- Fastion Briner-Elf: Copper, Lvl 153
- Un’Dal Falbane-Orc: Copper, Lvl 152
- Me’Zin Domika-Orc: Copper, Lvl 151
Sure enough, there was no mention of the deer, though there had been several changes since the last time he viewed it. It appeared that Malentar had finally managed his advancement to Copper, and that the elves were slowing down. He could only imagine that it was difficult to find XP in their environment. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. The fact remained that according to the leaderboard, there should be no one this powerful. He had already learned That Irons couldn't live in this environment, so they were certainly Coppers, and judging from things had been long enough that they would have made the rankings regardless of their level. Are monsters not counted? The thought struck him as odd considering the level of consciousness the deer exhibited. He would have to ask Jeline.
The day stretched on for Noah as he desperately pushed his body to new heights. Several times he overheard annoyed snorting, likely protesting his snail's pace. When they finally came to a stop, Noah collapsed unbidden to the ground. He heard the soft trot of hooves before Jeline spoke.
“You made it. I knew you would.” She said, sounding impressed with herself. Noah only groaned in response.
“Do you intend to sleep on the ground like some animal? We have beds in the castle.” Her words caused a series of emotions to play through Noah’s mind. Unable to process them all he responded with a blank face.
“You have beds?” She smiled.
“Of course we do. Come, I'll show you” she insisted. Noah pried himself off the ground and hobbled after Jeline. They passed through the trees and emerged into a wide open space. Only instead of the expected plains, there were walls and a city gate in front of him. His mouth hung open as they stepped onto the cobbled road and he looked around in shock. Do the elves still have me in a hallucination? A single guard stood at the gate, a reptilian creature standing on two legs and holding a sword. He bowed deeply as they approached and one of the stags nodded in his direction, the rest moving past without any acknowledgment. Noah crossed through the gate and into the open street beyond. Other monsters were walking along the street and quickly stepped to the side upon seeing their procession. Noah watched in awe as powerful beast after beast acted in deference toward Jeline. The queen. He realized. Any of these beasts would be a challenge for him, and yet they all showed complete submission before her. As he scanned the streets his eyes finally fell on the building they were heading toward. A real castle. Standing before him was a real honest-to-goodness castle, towers and walls included. How? Before he had the chance to ask he noticed a familiar figure standing close to the castle gate. Recter?
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