webnovel

Lady of the Lake

Author: Xendres
Fantasy
Ongoing · 20.9K Views
  • 7 Chs
    Content
  • 4.8
    21 ratings
  • N/A
    SUPPORT
Synopsis

Two smugglers, hoping to pass unseen, ride in a boat through supposed 'cursed' waters. To pass the time Bo, a seasoned smuggler among other things tells the legend of a creature that lives in the lake, a humanoid creature with the fangs of a lion, the gills of a fish, the wings of an eagle, the poison of an Valudutti frog. The legend of the Lady of the Lake. Duchess Elisia has set off with an escort to make amends with the past. Normally a quiet road, suddenly her carriage is brought to a standstill and a soldier informs her that someone blocks the road, asking for her by name. Someone, not normal... Lady of the Lake, follows Duchess Elisia, through her set of trials and tribulations. Action-packed with slow tender moments of reflection, and perhaps even a bit of romance and drama. It's my first published project, even though I've been writing and reading for a while now. I will try to publish a chapter once a week, and would love to hear what you think in the reviews. Don't be fooled by the prologue, this is not a 'country' story.

Chapter 1Prologue

It ain't a bad day.

Calm waters, bright blue sky not a streak of white overhead, a bird singing far-off. What more could he ask for?

It ain't a bad day at all.

Even the humid heat couldn't ruin it. Still new to sailing, he'd learnt quickly to savour such waters. Nestling his back against the curved bow of the boat with his head in his hands, he listened.

Resonating in the bleached wood, he heard the water against the boats underside, running and gurgling. If he put his ear to the wood it would sound like a roar, but if he took it away it would be soft as a murmur again.

It reminded him of something. A while back when he was just a grub, he'd met a traveler, who taught him that if you tap your elbow it makes a soft sound but if you put a finger in your ear and then tap it, it becomes a whole lot louder.

The boy winced as three times, in quick succession a loud thwacking noise rang out.

Samantha. Her name was Samantha (he just called her Sam). She was a capital woman. His momma had warned to be wary of capital folk, saying 'they only know wet when it rains.' He hadn't the faintest idea what it was supposed to mean. Not like it mattered, no one from the capital ever came through that backwater of a place. Until she did.

Thwack! Thwack! He pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed deeply.

There was something striking about Sam. He saw plenty people. It wasn't just that she was strange. Strangers came and went all the time. She wasn't like two-tooth Tom, or like the man with the braided beard that sold potions for hip breaks and heart aches. No she was different - different.

What with clean clothes in the mud, hair all plated and organized. Maybe it was how she strutted, straight-backed, prim and proper. Maybe it was how she always held her head up, not like the rest.

Cra! Cra! Cra! Wood splintered and sundered. He winced again at the noise, but kept quiet. Nothing, not even he was going to ruin this for him.

She was soft where everyone had been hard, quick where they'd been slow and bubbly while they'd been dull. In fact she seemed not of this world, like a-

A loud clattering sounded. A metallic ring.

"Dangit Bo." Said the boy "Yur ruining my peace and quiet."

In a gravelly voice Bo responded.

"Well Shane." Dragging his name out, Bo responded in that gravelly voice of his. "I'm bored, what else am I supposed to do?"

"Count the trees or your toes, go sleep, I dunno."

"I tried that, but I ain't tired." Bo exclaimed. "And considering you ain't paying me any company, I'm gon' continue thank you very much." The boy sighed before closing his eyes and hoping he could sleep thr-

Thwack! Thwack! He let out a growl of irritation. Sleep was clearly not happening. Propping himself up, Shane rested his arms on the edge of the boat.

Opposite him was the old man. With a buck knife, he chipped away at a big block of wood. His head was bent down, brows furrowed in concentration.

"Whatcha carvin this time?" Still taking shape, it looked like the beginnings of a person.

"I'm nit too sure." Bo rotated the block, and chipped away at the base. Flakes of brown flew off, only to rest with a growing pile at his feet. "I'll figure it out later."

You could spot him for a seamen a mile away. A face crinkled like a used map, cracked like parched earth and weathered from years that were too hot, suns too bright. His hair and beard were long, bleached salt white. He had this pudgy nose that looked like it had been broken more than once, a reminder of brawls long past.

"Where are we?" Shane yawned. The scenery had changed since he'd last looked. The mouth of the water had tightened, A large cliff towered to their left. Overgrown trees and shrubs leaned toward them from both sides, like grasping hands.

"I..." Bo twisted and turned, looking at his surroundings as if for the first time. "I think we're by Goring." Bo's face churned in confusion. "Or have we passed it." He mused.

Shane groaned. "Don't tell me-"

"Hold on." Bo continued assessing the surroundings.

"I can't believe we don' lost again."

"We ain't lost boy, I know exactly where we're goin'."

"Bo you as blind as yur ugly, it ain't supposed to look like this." He spread his arms wide, gesturing to the expanse.

He pointed the buck knife at Shane. "I been smugglin' to Hyute since before you were born. All the ravines connect to the main water soon enough."

Shane grunted.

"You'll see." He continued. "We won't see a soul for days."

"Why dja say that?"

"This is widows way. Not even the devil dares pass through. "

"Widows way?" Shane had smuggled more than his fare share into the glittering city, but he'd never heard of widows way.

"Aye, most dangerous way into Hyute." Bo gave a gummy grin, showing some charred teeth.

Shane felt his hand hover by his longbow, instantly he started scanning the cliffs. When Bo saw this, he merely smirked. Shane rolled his eyes and reminded himself to never travel with the old man again.

"Bandits?" It was a simple question, but it sent Bo A'laughing. Shane gritted his teeth as he watched Bo laugh. Minutes later, wheezing for air he responded.

"Put that toy away. It'll use the dan-gum thing as a toothpick."

"It?" Shane raised a brow.

"Well if you want to be technical, her."

"Stop riding my hide Bo, what the hell you taking 'bout?"

"The lady of the lake."

"The what?" Shane furrowed his brows in bewilderment; Bo hunched over his bag. Rifling through it, he pulled out an apple and rubbed the cuff of his sleeve against it. Holding it before his eyes for a moment, he bit into it.

"The lady of the lake, we travelling through her territory soon enuf."

"Bo we've been on water for weeks, If there were ladies on the lake I'da sniffed them out like a hound dog by now."

"This ain't no ordinary lass, I'm talking about a monster tall as the trees, with tusks, claws and gills." Bo's face grew grave as he spoke.

"No way." Shane studied his expression, waiting for a smile to crack or a smirk to escape but none did. "Y'ure joking right?"

"I'm as serious as pig shit in summertime."

Now it was Shane's time to laugh, and he did whilst slapping his knee. From his gloomy face, it didn't seem like he got the joke.

"Oh don't be like that Bo." Teary eyed, Shane continued. "Common you don't really believe there's a monster in these-here waters do ya?"

"You won't be howlin so loud when the damned thing bites you harder than a June bug."

They kept quiet. Rather than watch the man opposite him, the boy turned and idly watched the scenery pass by. The boat curved around the cliff, and they needed to push its jagged side with the oar to stay centered. A winding path was spread out beyond them. A long, winding path. Bo noted he had to bring something to entertain him for the next trip. When he grew tired of the surroundings, he lay back against the bow of the boat only to find it uncomfortable, no matter how he wriggled and writhed.

Thack! Thack!

Bored, Shane asked. "Fine superstitious, tell me about her."

"Who?" he responded innocently. Shane gave him a look and Bo couldn't resist a smile, knowing it wasn't long before he wore out.

"Well she wasn't always a monster. No, in fact she was royalty and the p'urtiest of all. Making lords stare and ladies envy."

"Heh, I betcha she was a sight."

"That's what they say, but the redder the rose the sharper the thorn and this bitch was prickly." Shane wondered if she was like the town girls, chasing drunken men out of their house with the edge of their boot and the bite of screaming words. He shuddered at the thought.

"Well how the hell does a lady turn into a monster?" Shane asked, not minding the embellishments – I mean he wasn't in a rush to get anywhere – but he knew how Bo could take his time.

"Mmmm, so now you've an ear for my tale. Well I suppose..."

You May Also Like

Abyssal Chronicles

In the northern part of the world, a long-standing battle between various races and the demon race has finally reached its end. The Demon Lord, a figure with black hair, red eyes, rules from her obsidian palace, having repeatedly defeated the Goddess, the strongest being in the world. However, she refrains from killing her, knowing she will only be reborn to lead another attack. As the goddess kneels before her, badly injured and helpless, the sounds of explosions echo outside, signaling the imminent victory of the alliance. Despite her immense power, the demon lord acknowledges the demon's overall weakness compared to humans and the Alliance. The development of fighting energy and mana has allowed ordinary humans to fight demons, leading to the demon army's defeat. Aware of the Alliance's intent to enslave the abyssal demon, the Demon Lord decides to cast a forbidden spell that will cost her life. As the Alliance forces storm the palace, they hesitate upon sensing the spell's energy. The Demon Lord vows to resist and be reborn to save her people. Meanwhile, the goddess reflects on the demon lord's past treatment of her and acknowledges her respect and dedication to her people. As the demon lord prepares to cast the spell, the goddess asks if she can abandon her plan and live freely. However, demon lords are duty-bound to restore the demon race's glory and protect her people. Understanding the demon lord's resolve, the goddess readies her sword, intending to clash with the demo lord's forbidden spell. The resulting explosion creates a mushroom cloud, marking the end of the conflict and the start of a new era. The Demon Lord and the Goddess become historical figures, their stories occasionally told.

Hail_The_loli · Fantasy
4.7
1078 Chs

The Fate Of The World Is In My Hands, But All I Want To Do Is Eat!

'Kill monsters, eat meat' 'I mean, Kill monsters, save lives. Got it.' 'Tut, I could've sworn that the first one sounded better.' She wasn't a girl looking for freedom or self-righteous liberation by a hero, or whatever shit a girl who suffered for almost all her life would crave. -the shit of a life she was living was horrible, but it was bearable, and so she got used to it. Rather, instead of freedom, what this little missy wanted was money. Lots and lots of them so she never has to worry about the next day. Money - bountiful enough that when she has to spend, she doesn't need to look back or calculate her assets to see how much she has left. Money - bountiful enough to get all the fried chicken she could ever dream of. Yeah, you heard it, fried chicken. For those who did not have money to spare leisurely, getting fried chicken was like a pipe dream to them and she had been one of those unfortunate souls. A comfortable roof above her head and no worries as to when she would get ordered around to steal. No worries about when she would get her next meal-- That was her liberation. And she got it. Just that, she got it most absurdly. Awakened! Those were the people ruling the world, alongside beastly and deadly monsters who threatened the safety of average human beings. And those awakened call the shots. Alice never dreamed she would one day be awakened, and compared to others with their game-like system displaying their attributes and strength; she had a full-grown man whom only she could hear, watching her back at every turn and telling her what to do. He was kinda a pain in the ass but she couldn't complain. It was this gift he had bestowed on her that made her the most powerful Awakened there was with stats that even S-class awakeneds couldn't compare to. She was the boss, now. Mwa-hahahahaha. But life didn't go as easy and leisurely as she planned. With great power comes great responsibility, right? Well, in her case with great power comes great hunger. She couldn't go a moment without getting hungry and her stomach had become a bottomless pit. And to get food, she needed money, and to get money, she had to hunt monsters. The monsters plagued humanity, causing catastrophes and taking lives mercilessly. Those monsters, as scary as they may be, were her target and she had to face them head-on. The bigger the monsters the more money she would gain. Yeah, that was the plan, but... This guy acting as her system seemed to have other plans, putting her at the forefront of 'justice' and having her clean the mess he somewhat created. 'Ugh, I can already sense a shadow of foreboding. Someone, please tell me I'm not acting the main character role. I just want to eat, okay?'

Author_fredah · Fantasy
4.6
337 Chs

Hellbound With You

[WARNING: MATURE CONTENT] "I love you, despite the danger signs." ____ Sheltered and innocent Abigail is terminally ill. She knows she will die soon so before she dies, she wants to fulfill her one and only wish - to fall in love. She wants to experience loving someone romantically. But under one strange condition- she wants a man who will not fall in love with her because she doesn't want him to suffer when she's gone. She met Alexander Qinn, the coldhearted and mysterious man. He warns her from the start that he doesn't do love and that he is dangerous. But that made him the perfect man for Abigail. He was exactly the kind of man she was looking for. Alexander will teach the innocent Abigail about his kind of pleasure while Abigail will show him the joy of doing simple things in life. Their completely different worlds collide, Abi's illness and the mysteries about Alexander will slowly be revealed. Can Abigail handle his own kind of hell? Can Alexander handle her light? ___ VOLUME 1 [MAIN STORY] - STATUS: COMPLETED A story of a terminally ill girl and a heartless man. ____ VOLUME 2 [SPIN-OFF] - STATUS: COMPLETED A story of a vampire prince and a feisty and rich human girl. ____ VOLUME 3 [SPIN-OFF] - STATUS: COMPLETED A story of an ancient witch's unrequited love. ____ VOLUME 4 [SPIN-OFF] - STATUS: COMPLETED A story of a ghost and a vampire prince. #enemies-to-lovers ____ Cover is mine so don't use it. Instagram account: kazzenlx.x facebook page: author_kazzenlx Discord server: https://discord.gg/UGTA3A4

KazzenlX · Fantasy
4.8
932 Chs

ratings

  • Overall Rate
  • Writing Quality
  • Updating Stability
  • Story Development
  • Character Design
  • world background
Reviews
Liked
Newest

SUPPORT

1 top fans
gift received0
  • ShinyBlazerGifted Pizza
  •  Ice cola10
  • Pizza50
  • Inspiration capsule100
  • Massage chair500
  • Luxury car1000
  • Dragon2000
  • Magic castle5000
  • Spacecraft10000