Training Grounds

The sound of swords clanging filled the training grounds, two expert swordsmen were going head-to-head against each other. Ignis was sparring against Theo Atenrough, his informant and best student. The two would spar on a weekly basis with Ignis always emerging victorious.

Ignis did not move from his position, he had been steady in his place since the round started and easily blocked all of Theo's swings. Theo maneuvered around the Great Warrior, hoping to catch him off-guard with his speed and agility. Ignis was unfazed, as Theo swung his sword from the back of his head, Ignis then used his left fist and punched him in the gut.

Theo's face as the punch landed on his unprotected stomach could be considered, pitiful. Theo then landed on the dirt, groaning and breathing heavily. Ignis walked up to him and a smile ran through his face.

"Haha! In a sword duel, nobody said you can't use your hands" Ignis exclaimed, laughing at the downed Theo.

"That's.. not... fair.." Theo whispered in pain.

"Lesson learned, always use what you have. Just because it's a sword fight doesn't mean it only has to be swords" The Great Warrior then continued to explain for half an hour while Theo remained on the ground for half an hour. Some guards who were spectating the area were showing pity towards the downed Theo as the Great Warrior continued to lecture him.

Ignis looked at the spectating guards and they all skidding back to their positions. The training grounds were located just outside the Royal Palace. Erin, the newly crowned Queen of Yuhin, was spectating the entire match from her chamber on the castle. The windows in her chamber were directly facing the training grounds giving her a good view from when the soldiers would partake in training.

The queen sighed as she slumped on top of the corner of the window. She had only been queen for a week now and already she has been pushed to the breaking point.

"These nobles are killing me!" She stressed out in her mind, she knew the nobles were trying to corner her and have her submit to their demands but she couldn't show her weakness. Over the past couple of days, the nobles were throwing documents after documents at her in which she doesn't know anything about.

Erin had education but there was no education on how to handle power-hungry fools. She could only hire advisers who would take care of the matters but that doesn't mean she's safe. She knows one of the maids have been hired to assassinate her so she hasn't taken any food for two days except for the food given to her by Ignis.

She trusted Ignis the most among anyone in the kingdom, in her eyes Ignis was her father's guardian and now that she is queen, he is now her guardian.

Erin proceeded to watch the two from her chamber.

Ignis had just finished lecturing Theo who had just managed to muster up the strength to sit down.

"Theo, if you fall from a weak punch like that, you'd die within seconds of battle haha" The Great Warrior was undoubtedly making fun of his informant.

"You could have gone easy on me with that punch.. argh.." Theo complained, his stomach was still aching.

"I just hope you haven't eaten before we dueled"

"Wait, what?" Theo had a bad feeling about what Ignis was implying.

"Oh? In case you haven't known, that pain in your gut may not be from the punch itself"

"Wait.."

"If you ate before we dueled, I suggest you relieve yourself now but preferably not on my training grounds" A menacing smile spread through Ignis' face as Theo realized the horror that he was about to experience.

Theo immediately jumped and ran off towards the nearby grasslands with Ignis laughing at him as he disappeared into the tall grass.

"Does he know we can see him from the wall?" One of the archers questioned his comrades. The archers who were on the inner wall could see Theo with his bottom exposed in the middle of the small grassland. The inner wall had four gates and surrounded the palace and a few smaller buildings including the small patch of grass in which Theo was relieving himself. The inner wall separated the Palace and the entire capital.

The archers continued to watch the unknowing Theo. Ignis then turned around and went inside the Palace. After walking through some halls he entered the secret passageway that was connected to a network of hidden halls only he and the elite division of the military knew.

The hidden halls led to the infamous Yuhin Dungeon. A prison for beastmen and humans who have broken the law or just pissed a noble or two. The place where scum is held and the inhabitants are treated like rabid animals, the dungeon had an unpleasant smell that originated from the rotting corpses of deceased prisoners in their cells who have not yet been cleared out.

There was a wooden door at the end of one of the sections in the dungeon, Ignis along with two other guards walked towards it. The guards opened the door and the three went it. The room was wooden and plain, not much was there except for one torch and a bed.

On the bed was a vampire with all of its limbs strapped onto the bed. Its mouth was covered by a magic spell which placed a similar substance of glue that prevented the vampire from exposing its fangs. The vampire had bluish dark skin all over, its hair was black along with its eyes. Its body was similar to that of a human but was malnourished, even if the vampire seemed weak from starvation, it was not.

Vampires were immortal unless purified by holy magic. Not even slicing its head off would kill it, it would simply regenerate within seconds.

The vampire turned its head and looked at the three men. It struggled against the chains as it gave out a muffled scream. Vampires were extremely rare, if they were to be tamed, they could singlehandedly take on an unprepared army. That was Ignis' goal.

Theo had just finished relieving himself, the awful storm that struck him had come to past and he smiled in relief as he exited the tall grass. He then noticed the archers on the wall who seemed to be laughing at him. He then turned his eyes to the men on the watchtowers who were also looking at him.

"Wait"

"The hell are you all looking at!" He shouted in anger coupled with embarrassment, the entire garrison then burst into laughter as Theo threw a childish tantrum.

The Queen was also laughing.