Rise of The Magic Swordsman

 I tossed and turned in my soft sheep wool bed, sinking deeper into the warmth as the thick blanket draped over me like a cocoon. Just as I settled into the perfect spot, a sharp ray of sunlight pierced my eyelids. No way was I giving up my dream now. I groaned and turned to the other side, the darker, cooler side of the bed.

 Ah, yes…where was I? The palace maid… just about to lean in for a kiss… 

But before I could fully recreate the scene in my head, my dream shattered. Suddenly, I felt my body being yanked from the cozy sanctuary of my bed, my feet pulled out from beneath the blankets.

"Whaaa—" I yelped, my eyes flying open as I tumbled onto the cold stone floor.

"A young man should never sleep this late!" a screeching voice scolded me. It was the kind of voice that made frogs leap. So loud. So annoying.

"Whoever dares pull me out of bed will be flogged and thrown into the dungeons!" I snapped, still groggy as I rubbed my eyes with the palm of my hand.

A hysterical laugh rang out in response. 

"HA HA HA! Young Damian wishes to send me to the dungeons!" The voice, dripping with mockery, echoed through the room.

As my vision cleared, I found myself staring into the sharp, pointy eyes of my governess, Lady Eleanor. She stood over me, hands on her hips, a wicked smile plastered on her face, while the maids and attendants behind her snickered under their breath. 

Of course, She was the only one in the entire kingdom bold enough to drag me from my bed without fearing the consequences. 

Lady Eleanor wasn't just any servant. She had been my mother's wet nurse, rising through the ranks to become my governess, second only to my mother in authority over me. I had heard rumors that she was once a widow, having lost her children to a devastating flu before joining the palace. 

Despite her stern exterior, I knew she considered me her child—but that didn't stop her from being harsh when she felt it necessary. I guess her life depended on making sure I turned out great.

Too bad for her, I was the kind of kid that loved playing and flirting with women over sword training. In Fact the only reason I agreed to learn sword fighting was to impress the maids that attended to us, the princes while we trained.

Speaking of distractions, my mind quickly drifted to Orla, one of the palace maids. Slender, with light brown eyes and a figure that… well, her chest was enormous. Sometimes, I'd fake fainting during sword practice just to have her nurse me with that soothing cloth, her hands so soft as they applied the ointment. And the way she leaned over me—her chest right in my line of vision… such a perfect view. 

"Are you done daydreaming?" Lady Eleanor's voice snapped me back to reality as the maids tidied up my bed, their movements efficient and precise.

"No!" I groaned, "She was about to kiss me, and then you yanked me out of my dreams…"

"Oh really?" Lady Eleanor raised an eyebrow, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Do tell me more about this 'kiss.'"

"I was this close," I muttered, holding my fingers barely an inch apart.

She chuckled, shaking her head. "Get up, you fool!. It's time for training. Your journey is in four days."

"Ugh, training again?" I groaned, sprawled on the floor like a child refusing to move.

"Unless you want me to be thrown in the dungeons," she teased with a smirk, "I suggest you get moving."

Just as I was preparing myself to stand, my younger sister Jasmine burst into the room, rushing toward me in a flurry of pink fabric. 

"Brother Damian! Help me!" she cried, hiding behind me as my younger brother Eden followed, holding a dead lizard by the tail.

"Brother Damian can't save you!" Eden taunted, his eyes gleaming with mischief as he waved the lizard in her face.

I grinned, quickly switching sides and joining Eden. "She's such a scaredy cat," I whispered, making sure the lizard got as close to her as possible.

"Damian, no!" Jasmine squealed, scrambling behind a chair.

"Enough!" Lady Eleanor's voice thundered through the room. Instantly, we froze, standing as stiff as soldiers under her commanding gaze. "Your brother Damian is about to embark on a dangerous journey in four days. And here he is, barely prepared and playing with dead lizards! He can't even defeat a grasshopper in his current state."

"Ouch, that hurts," I said, pretending to rub a wound.

Lady Eleanor's eyes narrowed. "The claws of the beast will hurt more if you don't train!" she snapped. Her voice sent chills down my spine as she shooed Jasmine and Eden out of the room. 

I stood there, my thoughts racing. Four days? That's all the time I had before I'd be sent on a journey I didn't feel prepared for, all because of that mysterious beast that keeps eating up people. Who even decided I should go? These people are nuts! 

 And for the first time, the weight of what was coming began to settle in.

"Now, up," Lady Eleanor said, her tone softer now but firm. "You don't have much time left. Many of us are believing in you, Damian"

Many people are believing in me? I don't even believe in myself. 

With a reluctant sigh, I dragged myself to my feet.