A Forest Of Vanity And Valour Novels & Stories

I feel like I carry a heavy burden on my back, preventing me from fully living the present. Prince Alexander: (scaring my hair with tenderness) My love, there is no shame in feeling vulnerable. You are strong for having survived and still being here, fighting against the shadows of the past. We all have our scars, and it is the courage to face them that makes us truly strong.

VALOUR The smoke still lingered everywhere when I arrived on the scene. Flames licked at the rim of the old great palace walls, and the acrid smell of charred flesh curled in my nostrils. Ash fell like snow from a dying heaven. My boots clicked through wreckage as I made my way through shattered doors, the last sparks of my brother Bastien's ill-fated dream burning beneath my feet. He was a fool. A good one. But a fool nonetheless. I am Valour, Leviathan's elder. I do not declare. I do not bellow. I move forward.

Callista My heart beats fast in my chest as I pursue Valencia through the snow-laden forest. The tall trees loom around me, stripped off their leaves unless they are evergreens. I'd lost sight of Valencia's distinguishable red hair for a while, but the prints of her footsteps are still clearly visible on the snow. I don't know if I should be following her right now. Maybe I should've stayed with the wolves and taken them to Theon before going after Valencia. I had to tell him about what happened and see if he was okay after being dragged into the castle with Ophelia’s vines.

Lucira whispers, “You’re… mated. To a hunter. That’s… impossible.” I glance at my wrists , glowing cuffs biting into my skin . “Tell that to these. They’re burning me alive, and you’re telling me it’s impossible?” Adrian’s pulse is slow under my palms. “No, no, no......” I sob, shaking. “Not today. Not you. Stay with me!” Shadows tear open behind us, thick and alive . My stomach clenches . A voice, deep and silky, cuts through the chaos . “Evening ,” Valerius says, stepping out of the darkness . He moves like he owns the forest. Beautiful, ancient , terrifying. “I believe you have something that belongs to me .”

Their land was both breathtaking and brutal—towering glaciers, thick pine forests that stretched into the clouds, valleys carved by centuries of ice and war. And beyond it all, rising like a fang into the sky, was their black castle—carved from stone and bone and shadow. It was beautiful in the most terrible way. Like a blade forged from silver and sorrow. At the highest tower, cloaked in darkness, stood King Valerian. He watched the horizon in silence, the snow falling thick around him, clinging to his broad shoulders, gathering in his hair. His eyes—those terrible, pale eyes—glowed faintly in the dim light.

Valen - The Path of Sacrifice: Valen's path led him deep into the heart of a dense forest, where ancient trees whispered secrets of selflessness. Here, he encountered a group of forest guardians, beings of great power and wisdom who watched over the realm's delicate balance. They presented him with a choice: to protect the forest from a raging wildfire, he would have to sacrifice his own magical abilities for a time, leaving him vulnerable to other threats.

Familiar with this feeling, Valia knew she had been poisoned but by what? “Wha… what was in—” Her knees buckled. Thirn caught the cup before it hit the ground, grinning. “Dragonsbane works fast, doesn’t it?” “Dragonsbane?” Valia whispered, dazed. “Why…?” “Because you don’t belong,” hissed Marash, her pupils thin slits of white flame. “You ruin every feast,” muttered another. "Always whining, you might not have said it out loud but we see it in your eyes, groveling for companionship. Clinging to your crude love of weapons and that revolting brute strength. You shame every drop of royal blood in your veins."

"You're still too small to..." "Age doesn't define one's bravery kunwarsa." Replied Kunwar Pratap immediately. "I maybe too young but...I sincerely do not think that valour is defined by size and age. Isn't it why your here despite your young age?" Kunwar Dungar couldn't help but break into a convinced smile. It wasn't difficult for him to identify who the boy could be. "I'll be beside you at all times." He swore. "No." Replied Kunwar Pratap immediately. "Our focus should be on the flag."

a voice growled from the darkness beyond. *** The general did not turn. *** “She did not take the path,” it said. *** A pause. *** “Yet.” *** The flames shifted. Watching. Waiting. *** “Then she is not what we were told,” the voice said. *** The general’s burning gaze flickered. *** “No,” it replied. *** A slow, deliberate smile. *** “She is more dangerous.” *** ### In Valros Raven stood beneath the night sky, Victoria beside her, the kingdom quiet but no longer untouched.

The last rays of dusk clung stubbornly to the horizon as the Bloodmoon war host assembled at the gates. The air was cold and sharp, carrying the scent of iron and pine sap. War banners snapped in the rising wind—black and silver, the sigil of the moon, the mark of vengeance.