It went as you expected, the maniac rushed me like the fool he was. Unfortunately for me and fortunately for him, I was not really seeing things properly.
I held only my sword and threw desperate slashes at him which never landed while he made me pay for the good bits I had managed to give him.
By the time the head called it over, I was on the ground barely breathing and bleeding all over. My opponent too was bleeding but at least he could stand.
Unfortunately. I could neither take advantage of his stupidity not draw out the fight long enough for his body to begin breaking under the sudden power overflow.
" With the results of the duel, I hereby use the power given to me by the Head to name Mathraw the winner of this sacred duel. " He announced to everyone.
Now this meant that I had officially lost my right to be heir by birthright though I could always go again by blood. Mathrew was now fourth in line to be heir since their was still my younger brother.
He can't challenge anyone again since he would now technically be a part of the direct family, that is the one under my father.
But I guess it couldn't get worse than that.
" I also have something to say " My youngest brother said suddenly bringing the attention of everyone to him. I was older than him by just 1 year.
" What is it" The eldest said, you could feel the sight coming from him inwardly at the current turn the night had taken.
" I would like my brother, Luthren to be banished from the family and erased from our family lineage. " He announced calmly.
The eldest simply stared at him with a blank expression, while I struggled to even move and breathe. I could still tell what he was thinking, and it was not good.
" I sincerely hope you have a very good explanatory this or you will not leave here in one piece " The eldest said.
Like previously stated, nobles were very prideful. They truly believe in their status given by birth and saw themselves as better beings, I believe it too.
But to suggest the erasure of the name of a noble from your lineage no less than someone from the direct line and your body is unspoken off.
" I do, our brother. This mistake of a thing has been very busy these past few days. " He said, I felt the hair stand up on my body as he spoke. My mind quickly moving to the egg.
" Get to the point!" The eldest commanded.
" He has a summoned beast and as we all know, he had neither the Vice, knowledge or funds to do such a thing. He couldn't have found it on accident either as this beast has a very particular look not common in our area. " He began.
I struggled to look at him, my body was in pain but right now...I had energy. If what he is saying is true to my suspicions, then it only means he found it. He found MY BEAST.
" The only other option is either a forbidden ritual or a connection to one of the rivaling families. " He said, the eldest looked my way and was surprised.
I...I looked utterly hideous. My face had scrunged up into one mixed with intense anger, hate and fear. Something that only means that the youngest was saying the truth.
Just then, the doors opened and a servants came in holding the egg. It had grown far larger than when I first got it, the servant seemed to be struggling to walk with it.
" I have also confirmed it belongs to him earlier when I went to his training all. It reeks of his vice and I also found this " He said
Another servant walked in holding a book. It looked like any other book which seemed to confuse most until the youngest opened the book. Its dark words emitted a power that could be felt within every soul present.
The feeling of something there that couldn't be explained by mere words, the feeling of a something made purely of wrongness that screamed hate to the logic that bound the universe.
" Close it!!" The eldest screamed quickly, just as it appeared. The feeling soon disappeared like it was never there, even the after feeling did not exist.
" I say we kill the boy now!" Someone voiced with anger.
" The inquisitorial faction will here of this, our family is damned because of the boy " Another said.
" A disgrace and a traitor"
" He must have gotten it from our rivals, we must purge him "
" Let us give him to the inquisitorial powers and frame it to our advantage, the boy should pay for his sins. "
Soon voices began to erupted throwing words and hate. Some gave suggestions and other muttered words that damned themselves.
The eldest in turn simply stared, never in his life could he have ever imagined this. He looked at the youngest and then his only sister. Then his eyes traveled to look at mine just to see I wasn't look at him, I was looking at the egg.
Just then, the servant screamed in fear as the egg began to shake. He dropped it and quickly ran for his life especially after hearing all the stories of beasts eating people.
The egg fell with a loud Crack but still kept shaking until cracks soon formed and a breast emerged from it. It looked nothing like anyone had ever seen.
The overall shape of the beast looked more like a dragon but with no wings. Its front hands having only three sharp fingers and it's teeth laid to bear for all to see.
" What in the abomination is that " someone said.
Luthren however stared at the beast and it stared back at him before glancing at its surroundings. Then it moved, at first clumsily towards him then just sat there.
" I saw we make most use of our situation, take the beast for ourselves and turn that waste with the forbidden book over to inquisitorial powers. " The youngest began, he face booming with a victorious smile.
" Of course I volunteer to master the beast, I will take it as my reward for doing this. " The youngest finished, bowing slightly to the eldest with an arrogant smile.
" .....no such thing will be done " The 'head' said. His voice calm and dead in tone.
" What!!- But -" the youngest began just to be silenced by the 'head'.
" Keep your mouth shut unless you want to be a cripple " the 'head' said.
" Knights, take that thing and the beast along with the book. Seize all three of them and secure them in a carriage now!" The 'head' ordered, within seconds his orders were executed.
" No one will ever speak of this, to do so is to forfeit your life. Luthren the Second, of house Marner is hereby excommunicated and sentenced to the forest of the lost and the damned. " The 'head' said aloud.
He had basically sentenced me to my death with those words, that forest was a place even the guards of the royal family avoided. There was a whole crusade sent to try and conquer it, they all failed with most of them dying.
" For this fiasco...the official reasoning is that he plotted to kill the head of the family, betrayed us to rivaling nobility and attempted to have his way to his sister...those will be the face charges. The rest, I shall inform you over letters.....dismissed. " He ordered before leaving the hall full of stunned guests.
The knights took me and the beast alongside the forbidden book to a carriage and assigned over 6 of their members to watch us.
Word soon reached them of what to do with me and the carriage departed. At least, I didn't die.