Chapter Text
The year was 1204 CE. A mighty royal county called Sicar that was swamped with people, Maybe too many people. The country was under a harsh economic downturn due to the king prolonged unease caused by his wife’s(the queen) illness. She was bedridden, sickly pale, unable to eat or drink much, and too weak for movement. A rumor had been going around that the queen had been cursed, as a result all practice of magic had been outlawed. It was punishable by death.
The day was bright, the early spring sun beaming onto the land as people rushed to start their day. In the town-square a group of 30 young men had been gathered they were the new recruits, training to be in the knights union, soon to be on the frontlines of battle against the long known rival nation Yeluht. Being a night from the capital city, Vikor, was an honor and Anthpo, a young knight trainee, was so close to assuming that honor.
Anthpo squirmed where he stood on the freshly laid cobble area in the center of the square; he was eager to be sworn into his training.
“Do you, Anthony Po, pledge to be: a loyal guard, a fair soldier, and honest holder of royal authority” said Lord Patterson a royal guest of the castle, here to enact the ceremony.
“I do” Anthpo said, eagerly dropping to one knee whilst bowing his head.
Anthpo watched the rest of the ceremony standing in his assigned spot, he was afraid that someone might be watching, maybe even testing his attention.
The ceremony ended with a brief moment of applause from the audience who’d gathered to watch the event, after the trainees began to mingle most of them already grouped into circles talking. Anthpo’s chest sunk as he looked around awkwardly at the groups of people mingling. A pang hit his chest, but he soon pushed it away this is what he wanted, nay this was his dream, to be a knight.
*cling* Anthpo’s metal kneepads scraped against the hard cobble street, as a boy caring to bags of flour over his head walked straight into him. One of the bags had torn covering the boy and Anthpo both in flour
“What the hell!” Anthpo yelped. Of course this is what happened during one of the biggest moments of his life. The other trainees laughed as he layed on the ground covered in the powdery flour, but the laughs died down as Lord Patterson crossed the grounds to him. He extended a hand to both the boys
“I-I-I I’m so sorry I was just in a rush and-“ the boy said until he was cut of by Lord Patterson.
“It’s ok young man, if he wants to be a knight, then he should learn to manage his anger better” said Lord Patterson in an annoyed tone. The heat of the sun beamed down on him, only challenged by the burning of his cheeks caused by this embarrassing spectacle.
“I didn-“ Anthpo exclaimed but was cut off again by Lord Patterson
“I don’t want to hear it, I’d like to see you when we get back to the training camp”
“Umm yes sir.”
Anthpo scurried home replaying what just happened in his head, Lord Patterson and the senior knights never like Anthony anyway but now this was something they could actually voice a complaint about, his mind shuttered at the thought, but he was unsuccessful at ignoring it this time. Would he be the first person ever to get kicked out of the training for the knights union.
He walk through the door his foot prints still leaving behind a light white print. His mom looked up at him an chuckled softly.
“Oh goodness honey, you look like you’ve had a long day” she said while carefully pulling his shoulder pads off, then dusting the residue of the white powder off him
Anthpo tried to laugh it off but he cracked. He wrapped himself around his mother sobbing into her shoulder.
“There there honeybee, it’ll be ok I promise.”
That stupid nickname that she’d called him as a kid always seemed to warm his heart. A small smile grew on his face. It wasn’t a solution to his problems, but he knew he had somewhere to go when those problems became to much
“Go down the the creek and wash yourself off, I don’t think Id be able to repurchase another set of armor for you” it wasn’t official armor, none of the trainees wore official armor. The other trainees did have multiple sets of armor of far higher quality than his.
He nodded and walked back out into the sun, his house wasn’t in the nice part of town, in fact it was likely it was 4 times smaller than the rest of the trainees homes. Anthpo had worked day in and day out to get his spot in the training camp.
His footprints no longer left a white cast when he walked by the time the dirt road led off into the grassy bank where the creek separated the nice part of town with the less nice part of town. He pulled of his armor and shirt now just in his pants, then he walked into the deepest part of the creek that was deep enough to submerge him up
To his neck. He closed his eyes leaning his head back in the water gazing at the sun.
“Hey there!” A voice rang out from the other side of the creek. It was a girl with beautiful clear, tan skin. She had her hair put up with a golden clip and she was wearing a light dress. She was definitely a nobleman’s daughter
“Oh um I’m sorry do you need me to leave” he said obviously intimidated by her wealth
The girl chuckled, “no silly, you can stay” she said sitting in the grass beside the creek. “I saw you in the square!”
Anthpo face went red. Of course she saw.
“What happened? I left the square before the ceremony was over.”
“Oh some guy ran into me, and he had sacks full of flour… and it spilt.”
She giggled, “I’m Hanbon” she held her hand out to him.
“I’m Anthony… well I mean you can call me anthpo” he said reaching out his hand still covered in water, but free from the flour.
“Hannah!” Yelled a woman’s voice from one of the large noblemen’s houses, it sounded more mature than Hanbon’s.
“Hannah?” Anthpo said questioningly
“Hanbon is a nickname” she said before she ran back to her house
Anthpo stepped out of the water and put his newly sun-dried armor back into his bag, slipped his shirt back on and walked back to the square.
As he walked past the tavern that was right at the entrance to the square, he heard a lot of commotion. There was people grouping around the stage set up between the bakery and tailor. Anthpo huddled around the people pushing past to be able to see.
There was one of the king’s messengers, Anthpo thought about all the times he’d heard the messengers telling great news or celebrating, but as of recently there hadn’t been anything like that. Due to the queens heart the king only sent messages to update the people on her condition. The excitement Anthpo once had was completely gone.
“Hear ye, hear ye. This is a message from the royal family” Anthpo thought that was weird they normally say it’s straight from the king, but nevertheless he listened. “The queens in dire need of assistance with her ever declining health, the king is issuing a challenge of sorts. He wants three teams of young boys to voyage out to the farthest parts of the country to gain artifacts that the king believes can restore her health. The castle doors will be open today for anyone to register to be picked to help aid the king. And for the boys who do go on the journey there will be heavy financial aid, plus anything the king can assist you with. Each team will consist of four boys and a courier. Thank you and fair well.”
Financial compensation! Kings aid! Anthpo thought. He can finally help his mother not have to labor so hard, and the king can help him become a knight, maybe even a member of the dragons legion. The dragons legion was the kings personal knights they were nation wide hero’s.
Anthony knew exactly what he had to do.
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Ok so, this next part might be a wee bit confusing. This is the only chapter that is going to move around time like this and focus on different characters
But basically that was Anthpo’s little introduction, it will go back and show wills, hanbons, and coys separately in this chapter, but this is all happening on the same day at the same time and when you see characters interact they will interact again in the other persons POV!
If this is confusing then please tell me!!!
The next part is wills POV
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“WILL… get up” will heard his father yelling, Startling him wake.
“Wha- oh umm I’m up” he said rushing out of his bed quicker than his brain could process, still stumbling. It was just barely past dawn
“You need to get on the deliveries, kiddo”
Will grabbed the woven basket, still warm from the fresh baked bread his mother and father had baked early this morning.
Will walked out into the square, him and his parents lived in the second floor of the bakery there. As he walked out he saw people grouping together watching something, but that was none of his concern. Will only cared about two things, getting his deliveries done so he could go play his lute in the meadow with his girlfriend, and of course his girlfriend.
Will knocked on the door of a nice house next to the church. It was the Piso’s a super religious family. The father was the pastor of the church, and the mother was the spiritual aid to the king. She’d been at the castle more often due to the queens illness, so their son answered the door.
The son of the Piso’s stood in the door smiling, he was little shorter than will, and much skinnier. Will found this strange seeing as his family was more wealthy than wills.
“Hey, I have you delivery” will looked at the notes attached to each bag of bread in his basket and plucked out the bag labeled “piso” and handed it to him.
“Oh shit-“ the boy covered his mouth in surprise. “I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to say that… please don’t te-“
Will burst out laughing, “don’t worry I won’t… oh umm I’m Will”
“Coy” coy smiled back at him.
Will carried the basket around town finishing his deliveries and buying two bags of flour to bring home, but before he got home he stopped by the meadow.
He looked around everywhere, sitting on a rack playing his fiddle waiting for her.
But she never came. I’d been 2 full weeks since she had met him at the meadow, and she wouldn’t talk to him when he came to her house. That was it she had definitely decided she was better off without him.
He moped back to the square, where people in armor stood around mingling. As he pasted the entrance of the square he looked up at the clock tower.
It read 10:20
10:20!!!
He was supposed to be home 15 minutes ago. Will hauled the bags of flour onto his back and ran through the people in the square narrowly avoiding everyone until…
*cling* the sound of metal scraping the ground of the square rang out. As Will ran straight into one of the armored people
The bags of flour flipped over his shoulder and one tore open covering the both of them in flour.
“What the hell” yelled the boy
“I-I-I I’m so sorry I was just in a rush and-“ I say before being cut off by a very intimidating man dressed in royal apparel
Will zoned out while thinking in his head, completely tuning the taking happened just before him.
Will snapped out of his daze. Looking at the flour spilt, he sighed and a huff of flour came off him. A few people grabbed broom and swept it up and he grab the bag of flour waking back to the bakery in defeat.
The second he walked through the door his father started yelling. Will just walked passed and layed on his bed. It had been a long day. The disappointment from his girlfriend and now his father weighed heavily on him
He slowly blinked himself asleep, taking a few short hour to nap off the bad luck of today.
“Will?” His mother shook his awake “I wanted to talk to you about something”
He looked at her with a raised eyebrow
“Your father and I want you take over the family business”
Wills heart dropped. He didn’t want to run the bakery. He didn’t care about baking. He just wanted to play his music for people. His music was the one thing people weren’t disappointed with him about. He never was clumsy when it came to that.
“Mom I don’t want to run the bakery.”
His mom’s face turned sorrowful, “he thought you’d say that, but we’ve already decided. You’ll start working in the kitchen to prepare tomorrow.”
Will looked shocked. “You can’t make all my decisions for me” he shouts as he runs out of the house into a giant crowd
Will move to the middle of the group watching some guy presumably from the palace.
“Hear ye, hear ye. This is a message from the royal family” will perked up at the sound of that “The queens in dire need of assistance with her ever declining health, the king is issuing a challenge of sorts. He wants three teams of young boys to voyage out to the farthest parts of the country to gain artifacts that the king believes can restore her health. The castle doors will be open today for anyone to register to be picked to help aid the king. And for the boys who do go on the journey there will be heavy financial aid, plus anything the king can assist you with. Each team will consist of four boys and a courier. Thank you and fair well.”
If Will got that money he wouldn’t have to work in the bakery, he could pay is way to being a world renowned musician. His parents always told him he can’t make money from music but now he wouldn’t have to.
Will knew exactly what he had to do.
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hanbon’s background
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“No, no, no, you’re not prim or proper at all Hannah” shouted an older woman in bold makeup and a ridiculously large dress.
Hanbon picked the books that had just tumbled off of her head from ground. This was the fourth consecutive hour of her “womanhood training”, well that what her father calls it
“Can I please take a break I’m just not getting it” Hanbon asked even though she was going to take a break regardless of the answer.
“Shew shew, young lady. Be back by the eleventh hour”
11 o’clock that gave her over an hour, she must’ve annoyed the lady.
Hanbon walked out into the square. She saw a boy kneeling and getting sworn in. By Lord Patterson a friend of her father’s. She watched his tense expression as he waited for the ceremony to continue. He wasn’t recognizable like the rest of the trainees. She’d seen them at royal balls and suppers occasionally.
Her attention soon drifted to the creek near her house, there was a bridge over it that separated the nobles with the working class. Hanbon didn’t like the way the nobles treated the lower classes but there wasn’t anything she could do, she was already focus on how to get out of her father’s arranged marriage.
Every night for the rest of the week she would be in ballroom of the castle getting escorted by suitors, well they were the kid of the rich nobles. Her father didn’t care about any of them he wanted her to marry right into the royal family.
Hanbon crossed the bridge, but instead of continuing down the dirt road on the other side, she walked into the lush grass beside the creek. As she continued to walk along the creek she noticed less of the pink flowers that surround the water around the bridge.
The breeze blew her dress in all different directions and he hauled herself upward to the top of a hill. This is the hill she spent most of her free time at. You could see miles, and miles of fields and colorful flowers blooming for spring.
Hanbon relished in the wind upon the hill. She dream to venture the world seeing all of the wonders nature could provide to her sight.
She soon kneeled down against a tree on the hill that provided shade for her, as she reached into a small opening previously made by an animal that had gone else where. She pulled out a book with slightly weathered pages, and a leather strap keeping it bound together.
The book was full of the adventures she’d had while away from the house. The magical places that made her want to see the world.
She looked up at the sun which was now closer to its peak, and she decided that she should head back home to further prepare before she attends the royal family’s ball.
On her way back to the house, she noticed something in the water. It was shimmering in the light of the sun. Stepping close to the creek to see she soon realizes that is a beautiful crystal dagger. The blade was a light blue gemstone that had been professionally crafted into a sharp dual sided dagger.
Hanbon held it up to the sky and as the sun gleam through the translucent glass it shifted to shades of purple and pink, it was unlike anything she’d seen. She tucked in into her pocket and returned to the bridge.
This time she saw a boy, no not just any boy it was the same boy she’d seen at the ceremony.
“Hey there!” She said accidentally startling him, as he layed in the water eyes closed.
“Oh um I’m sorry do you need me to leave” he said awkwardly. He must’ve been from the lower class, seeing as his possessions were on the opposing bank, the one she walked toward the hill from.
Hanbon chuckled, “no silly, you can stay” she said sitting in the grass beside the creek. “I saw you in the square!”
The boy looked embarrassed as she brought it up. She wondered what could be causing these nerves, most people would be enthralled to talk about becoming a trainee for the knights union
“What happened? I left the square before the ceremony was over.”
“Oh some guy ran into me, and he had sacks full of flour… and it spilt.”
She giggled, “I’m Hanbon” then held her hand out to him.
“I’m Anthony… well I mean you can call me anthpo” he said reaching out his hand still covered in water, but free from the flour he’d mentioned previously.
“Hannah!” Yelled her “womanhood trainer” from her house only a little ways from the creek.
“Hannah?” Anthpo said questioningly
“Hanbon is a nickname” she said before she ran back to her house.
As she walked in the door she was immediately bombarded with people layering on larger skirts over her casual pink dress.
“You must be at the castle soon darling” said her father, a large man both tall and muscular. You could tell he cared a lot more about his appearance than most in the city.
She was spritzed with perfumes, that smell intoxicating, patted with powders, and combed by many different brushes at once. Then her father and mother took both of her arms in their own and guided her out the door. She looked over at the creek and the boy was gone, Anthony that was his name.
Her parents brought her through the square and to the castle entrance. As she crossed the square she noticed a large group of people standing at the stage but they were blocking the view of what was up there.
The second she crossed the threshold of the castle it was an entire different world, a beautiful red carpet entrance and the smell of expensive meats being cooked. She was guide to the ballroom, a ginormous room with tables and a clear area for dancing. The walls were adorned with gold decorative pieces holding bunches of flowers.
A group of girls similarly dressed and pampered like her were put into a line as the king walked in followed by young men in uniquely tailored outfits in different colors. Some wore capes, vests, gloves, velvet jackets, and fancy boots. But none were dressed the same. She noticed that each girl was dressed in a matching color with a boy. She looked down at her red dress, then up at a boy with a similar red outfit. It was a boy she’d known, well she knew of him. The priests son, she recognized him from church on Sundays.
He walked up to her with his hand out to dance. She accepted it holding one hand and placing the other on his shoulder as they danced.
“I’m so sorry my parents are making me do this” the boy said awkwardly.
“Don’t worry mine are too” she said reassuringly, “I’m Hanbon”
“I’m coy” he said finally cracking a smile.
“You’re the priests son right? He must be excited he finally got the king to outlaw magic” she joked
Coys face dropped, no trace of the previous smile.
“Oh… yeah he’s happy about that” coy said nervously
Hanbon went right back to trying to comfort him. “Don’t worry, I wouldn’t be a church goer if my parents didn’t make me”
Coy’s tense face softened again.
They continued to dance spending the next hour getting to know each other. He wasn’t like anyone she’d been stuck with like this before. She didn’t see him in a romantic way, she didn’t see any of the suitors like that no matter how hard they pushed. He was just nice to be around.
“Have you heard?” coy said with a big grin, sitting beside her at the long table where they were serving lunch
“Heard what?” Hanbon replied
“The king is recruiting people to journey to collect artifacts that can heal the queen” cotton said eagerly. “I think I’m going to sign up, there’s a huge financial incentive, and I might be able to get the king to over turn the law against magic.”
Hanbon gave him an evil grin.
Coy returned the gesture with a knowing grin, before looking to see who’s watching then grabbing her hand and running to the lobby.
There was tons of people lined up to put their names into a large golden ball. Hanbon gave coy a wary look.
“It’s the same royal guards as the ball” Hanbon said disappointedly
“We’ll put in false names and not draw too much attention… oh and you’re a boy until they draw” he said placing his hat over her hair that was being held up by her golden pin.
Hanbon nodded, she assumed it was going to exclude women like most things in this town. This town was known for its restrictive nature. Only humans were permitted to be here, no magic, laws against women. Pretty much anything the church or the king didn’t approve of was outlawed. But outside the city walls was a giant world that was just waiting for her.
Hanbon knew exactly what she had to do.
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Coy’s POV.
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*knock knock knock*
The sound of the door being peck on woke coy up. Normally he’d be up by now but his mother had to do some spiritual cleansing with the king, and his father was in the church working on his sermon for next Sunday’s mass.
Coy sleepily got up and padded to the door.
Coy was surprised to see the bakers son. He was carrying a basket full of bread bags.
“Hey, I have you delivery” said the bakers son, as he dug through the basket. Then pulling out a bag labeled “piso” and handed it to Coy.
The bread was hotter than he expected“Oh shit-“ he said before covering his mouth in shock. He was not supposed to use that language as the priest’s son.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to say that… please don’t te-“
The bakers son bursted out laughing “don’t worry I won’t… oh umm I’m Will”
“Coy” coy smiled back at him.
Will continued down the road towards the church stopping at different houses along the way.
Coy sat the bread on the table grabbed his bag from under his bed, where he hid it from his parents, and took off out of the back door, and into the trees.
As he walked through the thick foliage, he found himself looking up into the trees. They had finally gone into full bloom as spring took on its full effect. There was no more cold mornings and leafless trees.
*thud* Coy let out a groan as he hit the ground. He rolled over and untangled his boot from the root it was caught on. The warm thought from before quickly left his mind as he noticed his bag spilt out. All of his books had fallen into the sprigs on the ground. He picked up a small book with leather detailing, then his eyes caught on a glass vile filled with a dark red liquid substance.
Coy stuffed it in his bag looking around to make sure no one was around. He sighed a relieved breath as he saw no one, then continued to walk.
He walked out of the trees and into sight of a tall tower with overgrown red vines. He walked up the stone steps, and knocked a rhythmic 6 beat pattern. The doors latch squeaked as an older man opened the door.
This man was wizard, but with recent ban on magic he’s been pushed into hiding. Coy visited him to bring him necessities in return the wizard taught Coy magic, well attempted to teach him. Coy still hadn’t been able to perform any spells.
“Any luck kid?” Said the wizard
Coy shook his head disappointedly, while walking into the disheveled tower. The place was completely abandoned when the wizard moved in, he’d at least made it livable while crowding the space with his mystical items.
They walked up to the top of the tower where most of the wizard’s possessions were. Coy pulled out the same spelled book that fell into the sprigs in the forest. He plucked a small leaf out of the space between the leather cover and first page, then flipped to a middle page.
“Coy, I’m say something that you might not want to hear. Do you think that you might be trying too hard to be a wizard instead of trying to do magic?” The wizard said placing a hand on Coys shoulder.
Coy looked taken aback, he’d never thought of it before. He knew he tended to bite off more than he can chew, but was that the reason he’d been so unsuccessful.
“Just focus” the wizard said flipping to another page in the books closer to the front. This one, he pointed to a spell titled “prestidigitation”, Coy closed his eyes and held his hand out palm up. The focused hard, he always was focus when he attempted magic. The only thing different about this time was he was only focus on this one spell not becoming a wizard, not what he’d do when he got home, not what lie he would tell his parents when they asked about his dad, just this simple incantation.
“Sparks” Coy said as he opened his eyes expecting something to happen. When nothing happened his lowered his head in defeat.
“It’s ok it takes time, you still are doing amazing. You’ve just got to figure out your trigger what will push the magic in you to show itself. The real you to show himself.”
A thought immediately was brought to the front of his head unwillingly.
“The real me? I need to show myself.”
The wizard looked at Coy, and Coy
mustered a shaky breath.
“Zoltar?”
“Yeah, kiddo?” He said drinking a sip of beer from his cup.
“I like… boys. I like boys like how I’m supposed to like girls” Cou said, small tears forming in his eyes
Zoltar’s face was as cheer as before, but it wasn’t disappointed like Coy thought it would be. It wasn’t the face of someone who would shame someone for not being like everyone else. It was the face of someone who was proud of him for being his true authentic self.
Zoltar smiled at him, the opened his arms for a hug. Coy happily accepted his offer, hugging him deeply.
They were both suddenly alarmed at the sound of talking. It wasn’t any talking it was a knight.
Zoltar looked at Coy, “do you have the vile?” Coy pulled out the vile from his bag showing Zoltar as quietly as possible. Zoltar nodded.
“Drink it, then get your stuff and run home, I need you to be safe ok?… oh and take this with you” a grabbed the crystal ball off of his table and stuffed it into Coys hand urging him to hurry and leave to stay safe.
Coy knew that if the knight found out he was still practicing magic he could be arrested, or even worse. Coy quickly pushed the thought away, drank the blue liquid, which strangely had no taste just a fizzy feeling. Then once he noticed his hands slowly fade into nothing he ran out the back door sprinting home.
Coy ran into the back door luckily no one was home yet. He read the small paper attached that said, “effects ware off when user drinks or eats.” Coy pulled open the string on the bread bag he’d gotten early from Will and bit into the bread. He watched as visibility spread over his body.
He shoved the bog back under his bed right as his mother entered the door.
“Coy! Look what your mother got you” she said as she held up a horrid looking red outfit with a cape.
Coy lowered his head too exhausted to argue, then grabbed the outfit, while walking to his room.
“I’ve set it up with the king, you’ll be attending a ball.”
This isn’t the first time his mother had dragged him to a ball, he’d been to the palace many times, but now she was trying to set him up with girls.
He put on the outfit and then his bag, which he normally didn’t wear out, but after the knight was seen snooping around the tower
he didn’t want to leave it.
He followed his mother up the road to the palace, once he was there he was ushered into a room with a lot of boys, that were similar in age to him. One of those boys just so happened to be the prince.
The prince stood beside the king as the king was telling a servant something. Coy couldn’t hear exactly what he was saying to he tapped on the person beside him.
“What’s the king talking about? He said
“The Prince’s challenge, they’re sending people on adventures to collect items that will cure the queens illness. The boys who are successful get a monetary prize”
Coy knew if he could help cure the queen he’d have a chance at getting the king to lift the law against magic
Coy knew exactly what he had to do.