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aakuwari OP t1_iu5qida wrote

Part 4:

The sphere shined brightly and it beamed towards our location.

“Reinforcement: BARRIER!!!” I yelled.

A large semi-transparent, half-sphere barrier materialized around us immediately. The beam instantly collided with the barrier causing a big explosion which shook the ground.

Rai took a step back, with his eyes widened and his teeth clenched. An understandable reaction.

I remained holding the barrier as the beam dispersed, and then I dispersed the barrier as well.

“Listen, Prince. You need to stay behind me—“

Rai dashed towards the dragon, gripping his sword in his left hand, while the blade was engulfed in flames.

“ROOOOOAAARR!” The dragon roared, once again.

Rai got close to the dragon and avoided an incoming swing from its claws, nearly being slashed in half. Then, he leapt into the air and swung his sword at the dragon’s chest, wounding it.

The dragon let out a horrible scream that echoed in the mountain, with its head reclining back from the pain.

“ROAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”

Rai dashed away from the dragon, and stood across from me, maintaining a distance from the dragon. He glanced at me with a smug look on his face, and a smirk.

“See? I can handle it…” he said, pointing at himself with his right thumb.

“Fool…” I said, while closing my eyes.

“Wh-What did you say?!” He yelled, glaring at me.

The dragon opened its jaws, once again, and a radiant golden sphere spun in front of it and started increasing in size.

“You have angered it, and it will now attack with a stronger Draconic Light!” I said.

I dashed towards Rai and stood in front of him.

“I don’t need your protection! I can dodge the attack well on my own!!!” He said, glaring at me.

“FOOL! What about the villages close by?! This attack is nothing like the last one, it will definitely have a longer range. We have to stop it!!!” I yelled.

What a spoiled brat. He only looks for glories he can achieve, wearing them as medals and bragging about them to the other royal family members. That is why royals are—

He walked towards me, passed me and stood in front, then looked back.

“I had no knowledge of that… If our people would be endangered, then I should stand in the front” he said, smiling.

My eyes widened when I heard his words. Of course, he would not be able to stop the attack on his own, but to think he actually cared about the people.

I sighed softly, with a small smile.

“Listen prince, the attack will be a big one. Do you have any means to hold off the beam?” I asked.

“I do… but it is not powerful enough” he said.

“Very well… prepare your attack. I will put a barrier, but I know it won’t hold for long. The moment it breaks, unleash your attack… understood?” I told him.

“I don’t take orders from you” He said, summoning a burning fire sphere above his right palm.

“Then fall with your nation…” I said, extending both hands in the dragon’s direction.

The ground trembled. Different small pebbles were bouncing lightly, blades of grass swirled in the wind around the dragon, cracks opened beneath us. It was as if the green patch had gnarly claw marks in it.

I glanced at Rai. He was pressing his lips, looking straight at the dragon, his fire sphere increasing in size. He gulped and trembled slightly, his trembles were almost not noticeable because the ground shook. I would reckon this was his first time facing a dragon, and the fear he was feeling is more than normal. But despite that, he continues to fight…

The dragon turned to face us, taking aim.

“Ready…? If you want to escape, now is your chance” I said, sneering.

“I have been running away from many things for a while… No more” he sneered back.

“You know, prince, you—“

The dragon shot its Draconic Light towards us, being pushed back from the intensity. The beam was about 5 meters in diameter. It tunneled the ground where it made contact.

“May not be so bad, AFTER ALL… REINFORCEMENT: HOLY SCREEN!!!”

A flat rectangular semi-transparent barrier screen shot up from the ground as if it was buried, the beam collided with the wall, and it cracked slightly.

Soon… the screen will break.

“At any moment now, take aim!” I told Rai who was still in front of me, to which he nodded.

Rai sheathed his sword, and suspended his now larger fire sphere in front of him. He extended his two hands, placing them directly behind the sphere. Taking aim, and ready to shoot his attack.

“Don’t worry…” I said.

He turned his head back and looked at me.

“We will repel his attack, trust me” I said, glaring straight.

He smiled softly, then looked to the front.

Crack

“I thought I told you…”

Crack… Crack

“I don’t take orders from you and…”

CRASH, the screen shattered.

“I CAN HANDLE THIS ON MY OWN!!!”

“FIRE LANCE!!!”

A column of fire shot directly towards the beam the dragon was unleashing, and both collided, causing a huge explosion.

The fire column started to be pushed back from the beam it was colliding with. I saw Rai grunting and sweating profusely, as he trembled to continue controlling his flow of magical energy.

I placed both of my hands on his shoulders, which prompted him to look back.

“I will show you know… why I asked you to trust me…” I said.

Rai’s body glowed in a soft red color. A small wind vortex swirled around us, throwing more blades of grass into the air.

“Wh-What is happening?!” Asked Rai, confused.

“You will soon understand…” I said.

The fire column’s color was surrounded by a soft white light.

The secret words that reinforce magic… I know most of them. As I channeled more of my magical energy into Rai, he glowed more radiantly.

In the case of fire… the reinforcement word is…

“Reinforcement: Ambition” I said, softly.

The moment I said my words, the column of fire expanded and burned more violently.

I could hear the low cracking sound of Rai’s breast plate - all this magical energy was sending resonant magical energy frequencies stressing the metal.

It pushed the dragon’s beam back, closer and closer to the dragon. More and more cracks appeared on Rai’s breast plate.

“I-I DON’T THINK I CAN KEEP THIS UP!” Yelled Rai.

“JUST A BIT MORE!” I yelled back.

Rai’s breast plate shattered completely, and the different plate armor pieces scattered in front of him. The dragon’s energy beam started to become less intense and diminish.

“You can stop!” I told Rai.

[to be continued in part 5]

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aakuwari OP t1_iu5qrry wrote

Part 5:

The dragon closed its jaws, and then spread its wings, while Rai fell to his knees.

“I won’t let you escape!!!” I yelled.

“REINFORCEMENT: OCTAHEDRON!”

A large diamond shaped semi-transparent barrier materialized around the dragon, imprisoning it.

I turned to face Rai.

“Observe, prince. I will—“

The words stopped in my throat, as my eyes widened. He wore a uniform underneath the breast plate similar to the one Anthony had. But the issue wasn’t with the uniform. He… well… he had… impressive proportions.

“You… you were a woman?!” I exclaimed.

Rai glared at me gritting his (?) teeth, grabbing both shoulders with their opposite hands, in a cross.

The dragon roared as it crashed its body into the barrier, to no avail.

“You seem to have your reasons for hiding your identity” I said.

I let out a sigh and turned to the dragon.

“Dragons are peaceful by nature, but those who are greedy use forbidden magic to control them…” I said, raising my hands.

“Someone… is trying to make you unavailable, but not kill you, as I see it. Probably paving way to deposing you later” I guessed, as my hands glowed in a light blue color.

“Purification!” I yelled.

A bolt of lightning flashed from my palms and hit the octahedron making it flash with a radiant light-blue light. The light started to pulsate brightly, then diminish with the octahedron and the dragon fell to the ground with a thud that echoed throughout the mountain.

“This purification method can break the spell on the dragon…”

I heard the footsteps of Rai coming towards me. But I couldn’t take my eyes off the dragon, just in case.

“If I may be straightforward, I developed myself.” I said, scratching my nose.

The footsteps became louder as Rai approached me.

“You must conduct an investigation for dealings with forbidden magic… your—“

I could feel the cold blade of Rai’s sword pressed against my left side of the neck.

“That wasn’t… reinforcement magic…” Said Rai.

I remained silent, still looking at the dragon. I felt the wetness from a small blood stream coming from the welt caused by Rai’s blade.

The dragon moved slightly, which alarmed Rai causing… her to gasp.

“Don’t worry. Observe…” I said.

The dragon raised its head slowly, then got up on its feet and looked at us.

I waved my hand at the dragon, and smiled. The dragon stretched its wings, once again, and took flight away from the plateau.

“See?” I prompted.

“You know a lot about dragons… who are you?” Asked Rai, still holding the blade.

“My name is Roland… Roland Bluemar—“

“Roland the dragon slayer, huh? I should have known” said Rai.

“Huh…? Why do you know that as well?!” I asked, frantically.

“Sir Anthony told me, how else would I know?” Scoffed Rai.

“That blasted Anthony!!!” I yelled.

“You know my secret, Sir Roland. I, simply, can’t let you be…” remarked Rai.

“And why is that…?” I asked.

“A power struggle within my family… no one shall know I was a woman until the coronation ceremony is concluded… I have lied about me being a man for 24 years, and will not let you or anyone else stop my coronation…” she said pressing the blade more firmly against my neck.

I let out a deep sigh.

“Women don’t succeed the throne in Hanir, do they?” I asked.

She went silent for a few moments.

“You are an only heir as well… I know that much” I said.

I could hear her drawing a breath.

“You have fought hard, haven’t you?” I asked.

My words were met with more silence from Rai. And now, I fell into silence as well.

The wind blew swaying the grass blades in front of us. A nice and cold breeze that carried the smell of the earth and grass.

“You are hesitating…” I noted.

“Didn’t you want to silence me? So what is stopping you from that?” I asked.

“I… can’t take a life… I feel my heart will become corrupted if I did that” she finally answered.

“Thank you… I guess I am corrupted, then?” I scoffed.

“I know your story… private investigator” she said, mockingly.

“That is private investigator AND tea connoisseur thank you very much” I retorted.

“I have a proposal for you…” She said.

“One might be willing to accept anything when one has a blade against the neck” I scoffed, once again while shrugging.

“Hah!… I always negotiate from a position of power, mind you” she said.

“You will work for me… as my Royal Guard Captain, only then—“

“No… I won’t” I interrupted.

Rai went silent.

“I can’t… my king died, and I should have died along with him. It was by his sacrifice that I lived… I can’t swear loyalty to any other” I said.

“I see…” she said.

“Then… a contract?” She proposed.

“I am listening…” I said.

[to be continued in part 6]

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aakuwari OP t1_iu5qt2n wrote

Part 6:

“Hiring you.. as a private investigator working directly for me. I need to have you directly under my supervision, so I know you’re not going to run your mouth” she explained.

I raised my index finger signaling a condition.

“… I will accept it, only if you… throw in a tea purchasing clause… you can’t have me… without my tea. We are a package” I said.

“ I have no idea what is with you and tea, but alright…” she said.

“It is fine… I don’t expect you to know anything about refined taste…” I scoffed while shrugging.

Rai removed her blade from my neck and kicked me in the butt throwing me off balance and making me hop a few times until I finally fell on my face.

“Is the grass to your refined taste, Sir Roland? Perhaps you might want to make some tea from it?” She scoffed.

I got up on one knee and then stood up and looked back, glaring at her for what she did.

“Oh… scary~” she waved her hand.

“Now, since all administrative matters have been dealt with. There is something we must establish…” she said, unsheathing her sword.

I let out a deep sigh, reclining my head back.

“We need to establish the hierarchy here. Sir Roland, I challenge you!” she said, sneering.

“That is exactly why I dislike royalty” I said, facepalming.

“You all… are such a pain…” I added.

“Why did you lie to me about your magic? You thought I wouldn’t know?” She asked, glaring.

“What kind of dragon will be slayed by reinforcement magic? You are really a horrible liar” she remarked.

“So, when are you going to show your true magic? Lightning. Or do you want me… to drag it out of you?” She asked, smirking.

I smiled widely as I locked eyes with her.

“Rai… there is no way that you can defeat me” I proclaimed.

“Then… draw your sword, Roland. Today, I will claim your title” she said, smirking

“Greedy… as expected of a royal” I said, drawing my sword.

“Today… you will be humbled… Princess” I concluded.

[thank you for reading! For more stories -> r/storiesofintrigue]

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Crystal1501 t1_iu5z91z wrote

Wait... are they fighting? Is it to the death?

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aakuwari OP t1_iu60gyr wrote

So yes, they are going to fight. And no, the princess simply wants to test her new contractor.

I hope this was enjoyable!

I plan to continue, of course.

Edit: contractor/ tea supplier

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Crystal1501 t1_iu613ru wrote

Ok! Lmk when you do continue please! Also, side note: I made the prompt because there were so many 'Princess doesn't want to be rescued' stories, but I guess I wanted to avoid the bland, generic, overdone typical 'Knight saves princess' story, so I wrote this... which then got removed for the same first reason I posted it (too similar). I'm glad you liked the prompt anyway!

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aakuwari OP t1_iu61r9o wrote

Thank you very much! You always come up with great prompts!

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