noveltune Chapter 1 Execution by exile
Chapter 1 Execution by exile
"Prisoner one, step out of the carriage!"
The guard's voice was perfectly flat, monotone.
For Theo, this was both the best and the worst day of his life, depending on the angle from which he looked at it. But for his guard?
It was just another day on the job.
'Well then, off I go.'
Having no better choice, Theo took a breath and rose up from the cold bench stuck to the side of the prison coach before following the guard's orders and jumping down at the unmaintained, beaten path.
The heavy, metal chains rattled, their weight pulling him down to the ground.
The guard, Theo's lone companion on the road to oblivion, was armed like some sort of high knight, with full plate armor protecting his flesh, a fully encased helm hiding his identity, and a long halberd suggesting what fate awaited those who tried to disobey his orders.
Here, at the edge of the land of men, there were only two ways one could go.
Back the way the carriage came from, which was where this guard would soon follow... or down the narrow, winding path leading to the massive, ancient gate that separating the civilized land from the outlands.
"For the crimes of shaming the duke's family, breaching the betrothal protocol, and fratricide, you are hereby stripped of your titles, claims, and rights and are to be executed by exile into the outlands for a period of three months," the guard recited in a monotone voice. "If by divine grace you will survive your banishment, your execution order will be revoked, and your name shall be reinstated to your family registry."
Theo tried not to laugh out loud.
'So that's why I'm here,' Theo thought, almost caving in to his instincts and rolling his eyes.
This sure was one interesting way of learning what crimes his past self commited for Theo to find himself in the prisoner's coach, driven all the way over to where the civilization's reach neared its end.
When he first came to be, he was already stuck in this cold, destitue prison coach, with neither its driver nor the fully armed guard bothering to answer any of his questions. In fact, by ordering him out and then listing his crimes, the guard finally revealed he wasn't actually a mute!
"Do you pledge an oath before the gods that once freed of those chains, you shall follow the path of fate?" the guard asked, finally acknowledging Theo's presence by something as simple as asking him a question.
"I do."
Hoping to get this over with as soon as possible, Theo replied with a nod of his head.
For a moment, the guard measured him with his eyes hidden behind the visor of his helmet before lifting one of his hands from the handle of his halberd and then opening his palm over the chains locking Theo's wrists together.
"Upon my authority, I command thee, open."
For a moment, the guard's glove shone with a faint light, only for Theo's chains to suddenly click... and then slide off his wrists, their lock no longer keeping them in place.
By the time Theo merely managed to move to massage his pained wrists, the guard had already reaffirmed his hold over his halberd and leaned its blade towards Theo's chest, nudging him onto the path leading towards a gate so massive, it could easily rival the great river dams he used to tour back in his original life.
"The stone hanging off your chest shall vibrantly shine once your term concludes. If you survive until then, its light shall guide you back through the divine gate. Should you perish, its twin will break, bringing the news of your demise to your family, who shall offer incense upon your empty grave."
With that, the guard spoke all that he wanted, now resorting to just nudging Theo's chest away, as if to shoo him out of the lands inhabited by humans.
"That's so?" Theo muttered before rolling his eyes and moving down the path, away from the guard, away from the people... and towards the unknown of his fate.
Or, if he were to include the flashing message window in the corner of his eyes, towards the one and only hope he had for this weird reincarnation of his.
- 100 ability points
- Ultimate Crafting System
- Basic Player Status
- Basic Player Ability Shop
XXX
XXX
Player: Theo (Theodore Evilbane)
Status: Player (Banished Prince)
Level: 1
Abilities: N/A
XXX
The initial message window flashed and then vanished out of existence, leaving Theo with nothing but two new floating windows with text and a strange feeling in his right hand.
A feeling that compelled him to mindlessly move forth, cross the open plain, and then reach his hand out over a small stone sitting at the periphery of the forest, some distance away from the nearest trees.
[Mining - Progress: 3%]
[Mining - Progress: 17%]
[Mining - Progress: 49%]
[Mining - Progress: 81%]
[Mining - Completed!]
A progress bar appeared before Theo's eyes, filling up in a matter of just a few seconds... only for the stone to shine with the very same light as the guard's glove just a few moments ago... before vanishing out of existence, as if it was nothing but a mere illusion that had now cleared out.
[Mined: Small Stone]
[Adding to dimensional pocket: 1x Stone]
[Installation of the Ultimate Crafting System completed!]
[New mission!]
[Mission: Survive the banishment and return as the one spared by Gods]
[Goal: Don't die]
[Time Limit: 3 months]
[System Message: Good luck]