For Honor: The Journey of a Conqueror

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"Get up! Again worm!" Lord Acova bellowed as he kicked me my leg. I scrambled back up to my feet. The chains around my arms clinking with each other as I did.

Lord Acova was what most would call a 'knight.' As was the same for all the orders, but he was more importantly a 'Lawbringer.' He had decided that I will wear the armor and gear of a standard Conqueror until I was deemed worthy at the end of my training to obtain my previous master's gear.

I ran to the other end of the small courtyard we were in, and sprinted head long at the training doll that was to be subject to my beatings. I jumped and held my shield to cover my front before slamming into the doll. I landed on my feet and thought that I had maybe finally knocked it over, when I looked up I only saw the training doll swiveling around on its circular base.

"Another failure! Again!"

It was midday by the time the doll was knocked down. It's been being beat since before dawn. Now was time for food. I earned it through my hard work in training instead of working in the mines now. After this we will work on my reading and writing.

"Enjoying the food slave?" A kid asked as he sat down across from me. He has curly locks the color of the sun, his face was rigid, his skin pale, and eyes the color of the sky. "Indeed I am." "It speaks?" He replied.

I looked up at him from my food before going back to eating. "Why are you here? Sitting with me? A slave?" I asked. "To get a look at my competition, news spreads over the period of time you've been training. From what I see there isn't much of a competition to begin with. Whether or not you have hair the color of dirt from being around it so much or if you were born that way... I wouldn't know."

I ended the meal by finishing my food and giving my apologies for not being adequate enough. Though I didn't mean it, I could've snapped the bones in that royal kid's pole thin arms. After my food was thrown away it was time for reading and writing with my lord.

I entered the room for the many hundredths of times I've been here and took my usual seat to the side of the fireplace. Here Lord Acova would sit across from me and we would go through books together. From what I have learned, I have been training for six months. When my training was at its twelfth month I would take a test. 'The Conqueror's Test.'

Lord Acova took his usual seat across from me and opened his book. I followed his silent instructions. Then we read, for maybe an hour or two before finishing the book that seemed to have no end. "Come, you have but more to do. The armor and weapons of your former owner's attire won't clean themselves. Nor will my own." He laughed and clapped my shoulder. The book was deemed as the holy bible and we read it profusely. The next bible we read should last until the twelve month mark. "Master, what all occurs in the Conqueror's Test?" I asked as we made our exit from the now dimly lit room.

"You know I can't tell you that slave. Even if I wanted to. The same goes for your name. You won't receive one until the end of your training, and I cannot change that either. You only have six months left  and then you will be free to do many things. Be content with your future as it is." "Yes master." I said as to not continue the subject.

Walking down these hallways has given me much to think about from time to time. My former owner's death, his family's death, the war, what we fight for. But it doesn't matter, not now.

Lord Acova opened the door and there sat the sparkling pieces of armor and weapons. They were all ready for their daily polish.

3 Months Later...

A hand clasped itself over my mouth in the evening hours and a blade was put to my throat. "Make a move or so much as a sound and you die slave."

I kept my cool as I listened. "In three months you will be tested to become a Conqueror and you will fail. You will fail by my hand. And you will die. Remember this slave, I advise you save your breath and savor the final times you have with your new master. Do you have any last words?" "What-"

I was about to respond when the door burst open. "Get off my property. Now!" It was Lord Acova. "Of course my Lord." It was the child! That damned pale piece of royalty! I looked unto him to see he had changed, he was now bigger. Obviously stronger than before.

"Don't you dare EVER touch my slave like that again! Do you hear me boy!?" Lord Acova spit as he yelled his words, the torches behind him in the hall giving him a luminous look. "Yes Lord Acova." "GET OUT!" My master yelled again as his shoulders sunk up and down from heaving breaths of pure rage. "Yes Lord Acova." The boy said again and left quickly.

Lord Acova watched on for some brief moments before turning to me. "Are you injured?" He asked before taking a few strides over to me and kneeling down beside my cot. "No master." I said and sat up.

"Good, until your training is complete and you have passed the test you will be sleeping in my quarters." "Thank you master." "Did that boy say anything to you?" I looked up at him and nodded. "He said that in three months I would take the test to become a Conqueror and that I would fail. That it would be by his hand and that I would die. He asked me what my last words are before you came in."

Lord Acova laid his hand on his forehead and looked out the crumbling window. "In your final month of training you will be learning many things of the test. One thing I will tell you now is that if you fail, you will die. And I am certain it will be no painless death either."