Fable 3: Calling of the King

[The Azure Reaper]

All properties belong to Lionhead studio.

Chapter 1. The Hero King​

"Avo's balls!" cursed the middle-aged captain.

The battle had been raging on for hours and it was beginning to take a toll on both him and his men. Now more than ever he needed to keep an eye out for who was and was not among the living. This was easier said than done. Tattered red coats dotted everywhere he looked, but this did no good at telling him whether or not the men wearing them were still among the living. Even his own usually pristine blue uniform has been an unrecognizable mess. He could only hope that his platoon of men would keep an eye on who they took aim at.

The ear-splitting bangs of rifles and muskets rang out in the misty, murky dead village of Wraithmarsh. The foul fog cut off Captain Daren's platoon route to General Turner, leading them to the horde of Hollow Men who were currently stampeding his men.

Each time, those abominations killed his man they were added to the ranks of their undead army. Daren clenched his teeth in rage at the atrocity. That such a fate befell his men caused something inside him to twist in agony. He couldn't help but compare the horror to the atrocity of the Tattered Spire.

"Red Coats! Regroup!" Daren shouted at the top of his lungs.

The Red Coats do as he commands, forming a firing line to repress the horde of murderous skeletons as a portion of Albion finest medics carried their injured brothers to safety. Others were not so fortunate as those empty husks tore through a good number of his men with their dual-wielding cleavers.

Daren and the Redcoats drop back as far away as possible from the horde of Hollow Men. He caught a glimpse of his men who hadn't been able to disband from the chaos. They were protecting the few wagons that had been spared being demolished by those curs, while somehow managing to keep the horses as calm as possible.

He made a mental note to request General Turner to have them promoted if they managed to survive.

Daren's lieutenant rushed over to him from the wagon, exhaustedly gasping for breath, "Captain… we're… almost out of ammunition!" his lieutenant reported with each gasp of breath he managed, "We must fall back!"

Bob scowled as he turned to see men carrying the wounded to the wagons. There were only two wagons left, sadly his surviving militia wouldn't be able to fit. The reality was only half of them could make it.
Avo's balls!

If they fall back now the Hollow Men will flank General Turner's forces, but if they stay it's guaranteed that he and his men would be counted among the rapidly rising ranks of the undead.

With a deep breath, he reluctantly made his decision.

"Lieutenant, take half of my men and the injured to General Turner!" Daren ordered as he drew out his Steel Cutlass, it's augmented immediately flaring to life as a burst of fire coated the steel blade.

"Aye, sir!" the lieutenant saluted, turning to carry out his order. However, he was halted by a firm grip on the shoulder before he could take another step.

"Lieutenant, General Turner must be aware of the incoming horde," Daren warns with a monotone voice, as his gaze briefly flickered towards the injured soldiers limping to the wagon. "No matter the cost, do I make myself clear?"

The Lieutenant swallows a lump and nodded, "Aye, sir." he said with a low voice.

Daren cursed this fate, he was leaving his brothers too, but he had no choice but to see this through. Many of his men, like himself, suffered the cruelty of the Tattered Spire. They had known exactly what possible fates awaited them when they joined the army.

All Daren could do for them now was pray Avo would grant them a quick and relatively safe journey to the General.

After seeing his lieutenant off, Bob pulled out a silver locket from his pocket revealing a photo of a beautiful young woman and a little girl. His stern expression shifted into a serene smile, and for a moment the chaos around him almost vanished. He missed his family so much, but they all knew the price when putting on their uniform.

Their job was to protect the people from the darkness that plagued Albion. Death was inevitable, but in return others will get to live. His death would be for his wife and daughter. He kissed the locket before placing it back to his pocket.

With their last barrels empty, Captain Daren gave out his final order.

"Draw out your blades, men!" The Captain ordered at the top of his lungs, raising his flaming sword high in the air as his man followed in session, drawing out their own longswords, cutlasses, and katanas, which all blazed to life in a flame. "For Albion!"

"FOR ALBION!"

His men roared like a thousand lions. They charged at the horde, unflinching, their leather boots marched in the mucky water.

Just before their fiery blades could clash, a red streak soared above Daren militia, crashing down onto the mob of Hollow Men. A massive wave of electricity exploded a good portion of the Hollow Men from the sheer force of the attack.

Half of the horde turned their attention to this mysterious red figure.

Taking advantage of the situation, Daren and his men continued their assault. If the mysterious red figure was what he thinks it is, then their hope that they might live through this.

With a couple of good slashes of the Red Coats flaming swords, the army of a Hollow Man was scorched into nothing but ash. They didn't die instantly being undead and such rubbish. Despite being a walking skeleton, they did feel pain and staggered in agony before dispersing. The Red Coats continued this tactic with the next Hollow Men they faced until it became a rinse and repeat cycle. Daren didn't know how, nor cared, that these husks were able to feel pain, but it was a useful tactic against these creatures and Albion's many other monsters.

In the distance, Daren could still hear the thunderstorm barrage of strikes from the red figure's direction.

He must be wielding his legendary katana, Daichi.

If the red figure was here, then, that's meant-

BANGBANGBANGBANGABANGABANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!

Daren's train of thought was interrupted by the sound of a barrage of gunshots. Multiple Hollow Man lay permanently dead on the ground, giving him a good view of their supposed saviors.

He turned and saw Albion's Elite Forces.

They stood perfectly still in formation, unflinchingly in the face of the threat. They surrounded the army of Hollow Men, their rifle barrels still smoking from the barrage.

They wore similar uniforms as his men, with a few exceptions. Their trousers were red instead of white, the red military tunic was a bit longer at the tail, and over it was a chest plate armor, but the one thing that stood out the most was their metal helmet with a "T" shape visor.

The King's personal armed forces.

Leading the front line was Prince Logan, a young man in his early twenties. Beyond the few inevitable stains on his uniform and the few strands of chestnut hair that had fallen out of place from beneath his barbute, he still looked every bit the refined Prince he was even after hours of battle. Beside him stood his Commander, Sir Walter Beck, who was smirking out at the horde of Hollow Men and cracking his knuckles with anticipation.
The contrast between the two men was almost amusing. Whereas the Prince was stern and proper at all times, Walter was unconcerned with propriety and the opinion of others. He allowed his shaggy black hair and beard to grow wildly, and his uniform was worn and ragged from decades of battle. One might assume from first glance that he was a man not to be taken seriously, but only a fool would ignore muscular and mountain like build.
Neither of these men were anything to scoff at, as their enemies would soon learn.

Prince Logan unsheathed his legendary cutlass that once belonged to the Warrior Queen Alex Black, Judge's Steel. The blade shone like the full moon, illuminating the misty fog, with a golden aura surrounding the rounded blade. The Royal forces followed his example as they unsheathed their Master Class weapons, the augments immediately setting theirs ablaze.

"CHARGE!" Logan shouted at the top of his lungs, as he and the Royal forces headed straight into the horde of the undead.

Their flaming blades clashed into the undead army like a raging stampede of Oxen. The Hollow Men's momentum was put to a halt as both the Red Coats and the Royal Forces pushed the Hollow Men further to the rear. Each man fought with great vigor, the Red Coats morale boosted as each soldier of the Royal forces tore them asunder with precision, but the one stood out among them was the young Prince.
Prince Logan was further ahead of any other soldier and was racking up the most kills. The young Prince swings were agile and swift. Just one fell swoop of the Judge's Steel was enough to make those bags of bones crumble to the ground.

Daren just smirks.

He wouldn't expect anything less of the son of the Hero King.

"COME ON YOU OLD BAG OF BONES!" Walter shouted with absolute glee, not a hint of fear in him as he carved a path through the Hollow Men. "LET SEE THOSE FAKE BALLS COME TO USE!" he challenged them, much to Daren's irritation.

Daren just rolls his eyes. Just for once couldn't this fool take the situation seriously? They're in the middle of a siege with the most dangerous organization Albion has ever had to deal with since that cur Lucien's mad quest for the Spire.

Daren made his way over to Walter, slaying any Hollow Men that got in his way, leaving nothing more than a pile of charred corpses in his wake. Walter, just as merry as ever, tore through yet another group of Hollow Men, who were foolish enough to challenge the commander.

Unknown to the jolly warrior, a Hollow Man had gotten right behind the fool during his rampage. The abomination would have slain the fool, if Daren hadn't parried the abomination's cleaver and then returned in kind with a downward strike at the ribs, leaving nothing more than a scorched skeleton in the murky swamp water. A single small orb of the spirit, known as Wisp, left the empty husk.

"Would you stop fooling around," Daren scowled as he pressed his back to Walter's, to prevent any further ambushes. "We're in the middle of a siege with an organization that has plagued Albion for two-hundred years and brought Oakvale to ruin! By Avo's grace would you take the situation seriously." Daren scolded as he parried and cleaved the head of a Hollow Man as Walter did the same at his end.

Walter just snorted as he took out his Steel Clockwork Pistol, shooting at Hollow Man point-blank and gave a mighty swing of his blade tearing the Hollow Man in half. "As always Bob, you still have a huge stick up your arse."
Daren sliced off a Hollow Man's arm with his flaming blade and immediately chopped off its head, kicking the distorted skeleton in the murky water. "When you have to babysit a tired, drunk, then you can complain all you want."

"Oh, come on!" Walter whined as they both took stock into how the fight was fairing. Both Daren's and Albion's Elite Forces were almost done dealing with the mob of undead Thankful with minimal casualties. "I quit the stuff, during the end of the Aristocrat War."

Daren sheathed his Steel Cutlass as the flames dissipated, and faced Walter. He folded his arms across his chest, making a point to set a stern gaze upon the empty mug hanging onto Walter's pouch, then raised an eyebrow at him. He very much doubted the veteran's claim.

Walter takes notice, as he scratches the scalp of his shaggy hair.

"Okay, so I have a couple of rums!" Walter admitted at the top of his lungs, his arm wide open. "Since when did you become my bloody mother!"

Daren's eyebrow twitches recalling the events of their first counter. He had still been in his late teens and completed his challenge at the Crucible. "Do I need to remind you of Westcliff?" he questioned.

"ALRIGHT!" Walter shouted, waving his arm up in surrender. There was no reason to relive the awkward moments in his life. "You made your point. By Avo, man, you're just as bad as Jasper."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Daren stated as they heard a roar of thunder in the distance.

They turned and saw a mob of Hollow Men that now lay permanently dead on the ground; not one fallen soldier of Albion was among the electrified Hollow Man.

It was the Hero King, William Black, that stood tall and proud before the rows and rows of slain Hollow Men. His crown and enchanted armor glinted in the midday light as his royal robes and cape rustled in the breeze. At that moment he truly looked to be one of the Heroes of Legend from a time long passed.

But what caught Daren's eye was his majesty's legendary katana, the Daichi. Out of all the Legendary Weapons the Daichi was the strongest weapon of them all, relics of the once advanced Old Kingdom. The ornate katana had a small gold curve as the pommel, a teal handle, a gold semi-circle bulge that looks like the head of a bird attached to the top of the handle. But what stood out the most was the electricity that flowed through the curved blade.

It's been years since Daren had seen his majesty in action, not since the Aristocrat War, and was once again reminded of why the Dwellers viewed Sparr... his majesty the God of War.

Daren's thoughts were bluntly interrupted as a smack from Walter brought him back to reality. "Keep gawking like that, you might get an ear full from Lady Layla!" Walter chuckles as he wraps his arm around Daren's shoulders.

"Oh, shut it, Walter." Daren playfully shrugged him off, no hard feelings between them as the two made way to their king.

William, using his enhanced eyesight, observed the chaos of the ravaged battlefield. His main priority at the moment was to prevent any more sneak attacks. Captain Daren and his men suffered significant losses from the ambush. Thankfully, he and his elite managed to reduce the number of casualties.

Walter had warned him that the Shadow Court would most likely use the mist to splinter the Red Coat forces. He was glad to have heeded his friend's concern, as they now had fortune's favor. William and his Royal forces had sent scouts to prevent any more ambush attempts, and to distract the Shadow Court long enough for General Turner to unleash his assault on the Court's tomb.

His gaze shifted to Logan. His son was currently assisting where he could with the injured as well as offering help with organizing a perimeter watch. He couldn't help but frown as worry, once again set in. Ironically, this was the safest mission for Logan to join him on as he was able to be there with him as he leads the assault. They need every man aboard for this mission and Judge's Steel was the best legendary weapon to have when dealing with Wraithmarsh.

The sooner Reaver and Shadow Court were dealt with, the sooner Albion will be prepared for a more dangerous threat.

William knew he would not live long enough to face the lurking threat in Aurora. His son, Logan would have to be the one to lead Albion to face the threat. He despised himself for placing such a fate onto his son's shoulders, but Logan's actions here in Wraithmarsh would give him the confidence needed for the task. He had handled himself efficiently and kept his composure, though he worried that he was repressing his fear.
William's thoughts were cut short as Walter and Captain Daren approached him.

"Your Majesty." Daren saluted in perfect formation as opposed to Walter, who was just rolling the cracks of his neck. "You have my utmost gratitude for saving the lives of myself and my men. I apologize for the delay, as captain, I will take full responsibility."

William just chuckled in response and waved off his concern. He needed to make a mental note to ask him to join the Royal Forces.

"At ease, Captain. Did you retain any injuries?"

"Not at all, your Majesty," Daren allowed his posture to relax as his King ordered. "Sire, I sent some of my men along with the injured to General Turner's route." Daren informs, getting a raised brow from Walter, "Did you happen to spot them on your course here?"

Walter chuckles heartily and places his hand on Daren's shoulder. "I wouldn't worry about them Bob, me and his Grace passed your men on Turner route. It's basically the reason why we came here," he assured him as he let go of Daren's shoulder.

"They're safe, Bob," Walter told him with a rare show of seriousness and sympathy.

Bob just let out an exhale of relief in response. At least there was some good news since the whole siege started.

"Your Grace," Logan approached the three, his Judge's Steel sheathed at his hip. "I apologize for interrupting, but my men have tended to the injured and placed them into the carriage. We took a few casualties, but Captain Daren's men need medical attention right away."

William nodded his understanding.

"Understood, we can't afford any more detours." William then approaches the nearby wagons his men brought in as Logan, Walter, and Daren followed him. "Our final destination is General Turner. There is no stopping us, do I make myself clear?"

The three men nodded, giving their answer, "Yes, your Majesty!"

Logan couldn't believe that this was once Oakvale. The once most prosperous land of all of Albion, the home of his ancestor, the Hero of Oakvale.

He sat right next to his father in the wagon, with Sir Walter and Captain Daren in front in the lead.

He had been informed of the carnage that had taken place in the town of Oakvale, but to see the aftermath was another tale entirely.

Ever since he set foot in this land, he saw what is best described as a… cemetery. The houses were completely decayed from decades of neglect and abandonment. The acres of land that were once used for raising cattle was now filled with the tombstones of the previous settlers.

Logan couldn't help but wonder if the Wisps, Hollow Man, and Banshees were once the residents of this once great land. The once fertile land was now more of akin to a wasteland… all those poor souls, all that history gone. These were the demons his father faced as did his ancestors before him, and, with time, he would inherit the burden.

It was their job to protect the people of Albion from these monsters sent from the Void. By the time his father passed, he needed to prove he could fulfill the role of heir to the throne of Albion.

Logan was startled from his thoughts when he felt a hand being placed onto his shoulder. He turned to see his father watching him.

"It's alright to be afraid, Logan." His father informed him sincerely.

Logan raises an eyebrow, confused by what his father meant. He had been doing just fine the entire mission. He noticed a sudden chill run through him and looked down to see his hands shaking like a leaf.

Logan clenched his teeth at the rush of shame coursing now through him. How could he show such weakness in front of the greatest man Albion has ever known.

How disgraceful.

He is the Prince of Albion, heir to the throne, the future protector of the realm.

"My apologizes father, I swear it won't… "

"There's no reason to apologize, Logan," William corrected him, stopping him in his tracks. "There's no shame in being afraid."

Logan could only just stare down at his feet, unwilling to accept his father's words. While he understands that any man would show signs of fear when faced with the likes of Wraithmarsh and the Shadow Court, Logan was not any ordinary man. His blood runs rich with generations of great Heroes who faced the horrors of the likes of Jack of Blades and the original Court, the predecessor of the Shadow Court or so Logan believed.
His blood runs with the power of the original William Black, the great Archon of the Old Kingdom. Like his father, who had taken on the mantle of William and restored his family's old forgotten name, he had saved not only Albion but the world.

He must overcome his weakness.

Logan thoughts, however, were cut short as gunfire was heard in the distance. It seems they had arrived at General Turner's station.

The lead wagon is brought to a halt as the others follow through behind them. Logan and the soldiers with him got out and surveyed the battlefield.

Legions of Albion Red Coats covered acres of land like a bright red sea all heading to the Shadow Court's tomb.

Muskets and rifles were fired, enhanced with Flame Augmentation, burning a portion of Hollow Men with flaming led. Canons were fired at the scarlet tattered robed specters, known as Banshees before they could even utter a word to the front-line soldiers.

His father, Walter and General Turner had been planning this siege for two years, every strike counted as well every man. If even one soldier died, they would be added to the ranks of the undead army. The Shadow Court was not an enemy that could be beaten by brute force. For four hundred years the Court had plagued Albion, causing nothing but chaos. A rumor even said they aligned themselves with Lucien in the creation of Highwayman's Guild and Assassination Society.

They were monsters. No one could afford to let their guard down.

Guards of Albion Red Coats surrounded a tall, fit, pale-skinned man that was in his late forties. He had a buzz cut and a short beard and donned the same blue coat uniform as Captain Daren.

"General Turner," William greeted General Solomon Turner and offered his hand, neutrally.

"Your Majesty," Turner addressed him with the same neutrality as they shook each other by the wrist.

"What's the status report?" William questions as he takes a closer look of the battlefield, using his legendary eyesight to find any potential surprises from the Shadow Court.

"So far there haven't been any hindrances with the siege," Turner answered with firm pride that quickly turned into an irritated frown. "However, we have underestimated the sheer amount within the Shadow Court's army. I estimate it will be nightfall before we reach the tomb."

Everyone just lets out a huge sigh at the disheartening news, all except the King of Albion, who was half-listening while keeping an eye out for any surprises the Shadow Court had in mind.

Logan rubbed his chin, thinking of a solution for the situation.

Wraithmarsh was bad enough during the dawn hours of the day, but once twilight came to its end… well, it was going to be more difficult to fight the army of the undead at night. But there was something that didn't make sense.

Logan takes out his spyglass from his pouch, using it to gain a better view of the army of Hollow Men and a few Banshees. This was odd, just Hollow Men and Banshees. The Court of Wraithmarsh was able to create living Shadows to attack their victims, not to mention the Balverines that inhabit Wraithmarsh too.

None of this makes sense, unless…

"Father, I believe the Shadow Court is stalling."

Everyone went silent at the Prince's bold statement.

General Tuner, deciding to participate in the conversation, speaks first, "Your Highness, I mean no disrespect, but the Shadow Court is facing the most powerful army in the world along with the Hero King. For what reason would they have to stall?" Turner couldn't help but scoff at the idea, it was just too ludicrous of such a threat to be stalling.

"The army we're facing is legions of Hollow Men and a couple of Banshees," Logan stated the obvious as everyone began to wonder where the young Prince's theory was going, "There are no Balverines let alone Shadows to aid them, furthermore the army of Hollow Men is far greater than we predicted."
Walter's eyes widened, now seeing where Logan was going, "They're trying to escape."

Logan nodded, "And they must be conserving their strength, hence the lack of Shadows or Balverines. They must be heading for the Balverine Order."

"The Balverine Order is just a myth, there hasn't been any proof of their existence." Turner disputed the idea of such an organization. It was just a rumor drunken soldiers made to scare the new recruits.

"Given my experience in the Spire, there's a lot of mystery about Albion that our people haven't discovered yet." Daren added, "We once believed the great Heroes were extinct during the age of Enlightenment, our Majesty proof that not the case."

"That doesn't explain the sudden increase of those bloody Hollow Men, though," Walter added, seeing the hole in Logan's theory.

"For now, we focus on the matter at hand," William got out his trance, bringing an end to the debate. Logan's theory does sound solid and partly valid, but right now they needed to put this siege to an end before nightfall.
He knows firsthand what Wraithmarsh is like during that time of day. It was the main reason the siege started at the crack of dawn. It's in the middle of the afternoon, and the Shadow Court needs to be brought to an end, and fast.

"There's a small, weak point right at the center of the tomb's entrance." He added, pointing to the front gate. "General, can the canons cause enough chaos for me go through to the tomb?"

Walter's eyes bugged out, seeing the plot coming to light. "Your Majesty, are you sure about this? If you go through that tomb you won't have any men to support you." His grace might be a one-man army but even he had limitations.

"It's probably the best chance we have, Walter." Daren supports, seeing no other solution.

"We can place gunpowder in one of our wagons, light up the fuse and use father's Slow Time spell which could cause enough chaos before the Hollow would know what's going on." Logan suggested, "Right after Turner fires his canons."

"It's a big risk for you, but it might work." Turner agreed. "Are you sure of this your majesty?"

"Positive, set up the operations."

It took about half an hour to complete. The barrels of gunpowder were wired and set in place on the wagon. Meanwhile, two of Albion's fastest horses were being prepared for their part in this suicide mission.
As of now, Logan was pleading with his father to allow him to join him. He honestly didn't know what his father was thinking. He could be killed pulling this stunt. It was a spur of the moment and if this failed not only Albion lose their greatest king, but he would lose his father. That something Logan couldn't handle. The fact it would be his own foolishness that could get him killed was enough to give him nightmares.

How was he going to explain to mother and Adam, that his father died by his own foolishness?

"Father, I beg of you, let me join you," Logan begged as two were in the middle of a debate.

"For the last time, Logan, the answer is no! Slow Time can only work for me and nobody else. Furthermore, you are needed here with General Turner." William said as he approached the wagon filled with barrels of explosive gunpowder. "I already put your life at risk enough as it is."

"But father- "

"Logan!" William cut Logan off. Logan fixed his gaze down at the murky mud-covered ground, unwilling to look his father in the eye.

"Logan," William said softly, placing a reassuring hand on Logan's shoulder. Logan raised his head to see the sincerity in his father's brown eyes. "The moment I became king I knew the risks I would have to take and the responsibility that comes with it. One day this will be your burden, but as long I'm still alive, I will carry the weight of Albion."

Logan nodded, "I understand, father." he said solemnly and watched as the King of Albion rode off on the wagon.

---

With all their might the horses ran ahead of the sea of red, of Albion's Red Coats, as gunpowder of muskets and rifles filled the air. The soldiers can only gawk as their King brazenly stampeded himself forward to the legion of the undead. Quickly, though, they refocused their attention back to the legion of the damned before them. As much as they wanted to know why their King was pulling such a stunt, their lives came first before their curiosity.

A squad of Hollow Men takes notice of their King racing towards them and attempts to intercept, but lightning flares out from the palm of his Grace's right hand shocking the Hollow Men in their place.

William held the palm of his hand up close to his chest as it materialized a light see-through clock. William channeled his power as his horses rapidly got closer to the army of Hollow Men.

In the nick of time, William unleashed his Time Control before reaching the bulk of undead as time itself fell to a snail's pace.

With a mighty leap, William jumped halfway over the army of Hollow Man, but not before casting a ball of Inferno and igniting the wagon of gunpowder. Unfortunately, the poor horses would be caught by the blast as soon as the spell came to an end, but William knew it was a small sacrifice to end this battle as quickly as possible.

William ran towards the tomb as fast as his legendary speed could take him, using Force Push on the Hollow Men that were slowly approaching him. He only has five minutes until the spell comes to an end, then General Turner will unleash his cannons to his position. The tomb was seven miles long and he couldn't waste any more time.

With seconds to spare, William was within half a mile to the tomb. He unleashed a massive Force Push at the stone entrance by the invisible force.

William leaped with all his might to destroy the entrance as time returned to its original pace.

BOOOOOM!

The massive explosion was heard by William as beads of sweat dripped down his forehead. In the distance the wagon filled with gunpowder exploded, shaking the ground with its massive explosion. It took a portion of the Hollow Men nearby with them… unfortunately the horses were caught up by the explosion, leaving nothing more but burnt, shards of meat.

Just as instructed, General Turner ordered all his canons to be aimed at the exploding wagon.

With a thunderous shout, Turner gave his order.

"ALL CANONS FIRE!"

With no time to waste William, ran into the depths of the Shadow Court tomb.

---

An elegant, handsome man clad in crimson stood waiting in a small indoor room that was separated from the main throne room of the Shadow Court. He was slim, but firm in stature, with unnaturally pale skin and wavy but perfectly styled hair. He was nearly the embodiment of a pirate that a young, naive maiden would fantasize about. Truth be told that what Reaver was… to a certain extent.

Candles that had been carelessly placed across the ground illuminated the eerie room. Scattered everywhere were the skeletons of previous sacrifices he had offered to the Shadow Court. He was sure that plenty of those skeletons had been the very same hapless maidens that had fallen for the pirate of their dreams. A shame, he supposed, but a small price to pay for his youth.

However, these sacrifices will no longer be necessary with the oncoming tide. He had agreed to help them strike down Albion's forces, which in return would give him enough souls to supply the Shadow Court for several lifetimes. It was heartless, but his needs must come first.

The Shadow Court had promised to leave him be after this until the time came again to renew the contract. They were many things, but oath breakers they were not.

There was some sense of honor in their madness.

Much to his dismay, however, given their pact, it doesn't matter that those armies of peasants marching towards Wraithmarsh were led by William. Only he would be foolhardy enough to challenge forces beyond his comprehension. He would have no choice but to face his rival again.

A smile graced Reaver's unblemished features. A proper hunt at last. It's been years since their last bout - since that dreaded Snow Globe quest. If Reaver was honest with himself, the thought of facing off with 'Little Sparrow' again made his bones rattle with anticipation.

The thought of being slain by his hand, made their inevitable duel all the more thrilling.

Unfortunately, beings higher than himself set this path in motion. Truth be told if he will perish, he prefers a duel to being a withering corpse.

In the distance, he hears gunshots not far from the throne room. A sad chuckle escapes Reaver's lips.

Their little rivalry would have a proper conclusion.

Let's just hope that Logan would be a worthy opponent. If not for a battle of skills, perhaps in a duel of wits.

But for now, William can have Oakvale, for the time being.

The world, however… Well, let's see how the two princes play out.

---

Thank you all for your time and I want to get my thanks to my beta reader Deorc, the author of, A Fable Untold. Was starting collaboration of the story that connect one and another. So, think Calling of the King an alternative sequel to A Fable Untold.

Calling of the King, is a Fable 3 story, but will have a different setting than the original game. I did this to make coherent story, so things like escort missions won't be added, with no relevance to the story.
The first OC I introduce is Daren Bob, he was the friendly Spire guard that we have to kill or spare at Fable 2.

Also, in case anyone wondering, the cover image is King William Black, aka Sparrow and Queen Alex is the same Alex from Till Death Do Us Part Quest.

Here the link of the Fanfiction - Fable 3: Calling of the King Chapter 1: The Hero King, a fable fanfic | FanFiction

The art of King William Black(Sparrow) and Queen Alex Fable 3: Calling of the King- Sparrow and Alex by TheInsaneDarkOne on DeviantArt

 

[The Azure Reaper]

The due are the main characters of Fable 3: Calling of the King.

Prince Adam Black, second heir of the throne of Albion, former lieutenant of royal guards, leader of the rebellion that oppose King Logan Black. Unlike the game Adam wasn't shelter at the castle, but the second command of Albion elite soldiers that station at Bowerstone city. By tutelage of Adam's father, the late Hero King William Black and the captain of the royal guards Sir Walter Beck. Adam was inspired to take the sword by the many deeds and adventures of the last Hero, his father. Adam is steadfast and honorable modeling himself after his parents, however, he is quite stubborn, and impatient.

Senator, heiress of Oakfiled and the fiancee of Adam Black, Elise Oak. Elise is a noble of Albion largest farmland, in Oakfield. Elise is a young, beautiful caring woman using persuasion to solve disputes. She isn't, however, above underhanded means to get her way, using manipulation or seduction. She took inspiration of the late Warrior Queen Alex Black and the Witch Lady Elvira Grey. Elise represents Oakfield in Albion senate making deals with the other noble senators and bring her grievance to King Logan.

Here the link of my story. Fable 3: Calling of the King Chapter 1: The Hero King, a fable fanfic | FanFiction

All credit and thanks for the art goes NarutoRenegado01 NarutoRenegado01 - Professional, Digital Artist | DeviantArt

 

[ArsMagna1337]

Interesting... That is one thicc chair.

 

[The Azure Reaper]

Interesting... That is one thicc chair.

Click to shrink...

Thank you, spread of fanfictthere zero to none of fanfiction.

Also which chair?

 

[The Azure Reaper]

Sparrow the Hero of Bower Lake and Alex are a product of Fable 2. This is an AU of a prologue of Fable 3, that Sparrow journey comes to an end. It's not too different from the canon, but more depth of how Albion comes to fuction. The main difference is that Alex met Sparrow beginning of his journey before he left Bower Lake almost being sold as a slave. During the course of the journey not only did the two fall in love, but Alex becomes a fierce warrior over time, being skilled enough to fight alongside the four heroes, despite being a normal human, even worthy enough to wiled the leganday weapon Judge's Steel and soon after the Royal Sceptre. While her husband wieldn the legandary katana the Daichi.

The Hero King William Black, was once named Sparrow before he changed his name and took his ancestor William Black's first and last name. Sparrow is similar to his Fable 2 counterpart with some mild differences. He took an active role in Albion politics during his quest to hunt down Lucien Fairfax with Alex and Elizabeth Spade. Thanks to Sparrow's many heroic deeds across Albion the people few him as their Savior his action of Spire solidifies this by making the ultimate sacrifice. His rise to the throne was during the Aristocrat War. When Sparrow took action against the consent battle of the nobility competing who take Albion's seat of power after a year of Lucien's death. Using his heroic bloodline of William Black the first Archon to claim his right of the throne. Sparrow was viewed as a messianic king view by the common folk bringing salvation and prosperity. Sparrow discards his old name and changes it to William Black. In a form of atonement for the lives he had taken during his hunt for Lucien. He named himself d as William Black following his ancestor's footsteps.

Alex was known as Warrior Queen, similar to her Fable 2 counterpart of Till Death Do Us Part quest, however, she met Sparrow at the beginning of his journey of finding Lucien. She was captured by Thag a leader of the bandits in Bower Lake as she was about to be sold as slave. Sparrow from the start of the journey saves and decides to accompany him and train her how to fight. Over the years she became a fierce warrior to be reckoned with, to the point she once wielded both the Judge's Steel and the Royal Sceptre. While her husband wielded the Sword of Daichi. While not as powerful as any Hero, her martial prowess made her keep up with the four heroes. Like her husband, he was known as the Hero King and herself the Warrior Queen.

All credit to the art - NarutoRenegado01 - Professional, Digital Artist | DeviantArt

Fable - King William Black(Sparrow) and Queen Alex by Moshe30350 on DeviantArt

 

[The Azure Reaper]

 

[The Azure Reaper]

Prince Logan and young Walter Beck leading the Royal Guard in a rescue attempt to save Captain Bob Daren during the siege in Wraithmarsh.

Fable 3: Calling of the King Chapter 1: The Hero King, a fable fanfic | FanFiction

Before the events of Fable 3 where Sparrow is known as William Black and the current king of Albion. Prince Logan is the Captain of the Royal Guard and the crown prince wielding his mother legendary weapon the Judge's Steel. Sir Walter Beck was the captain of the Royal Guard before Logan and a trusted adviser to King William. He steps down the position of captian and become a full time advisor for the King William and Queen Alex.

During King Logan's expedition at Aurora, he reorganized the Royal Guard and the standard guard to Logan Elites with the Commandant as his head enforcer. A portion of the Royal Guard was integrated into Logan Elites or stationed in leader positions of the standard guard army. Know led by the second prince, Captain Adam Black only a handful remain and are stationed in Bowerstone. Only a matter of time before both the Royal Guard and the standard guard are integrated to Logan Elites, the purple coats.

All credit and thanks for the art goes to NarutoRenegado01 - Professional, Digital Artist | DeviantArt

The Royal Guard are Albion elite soldiers, the personal armed forces of the king. Also known as the Crimson Guard and the Old Guard the Albion elite forces were trained by both William Black and Walter Beck. Each guard is strong enough to fight a single Balverine in a head-on fight with a sword in hand. All of these weapons they wield are master class. They are not to be taken lightly or mistaken for a castle guard or a station guard also known as the Red Coats. They are Albion elite soldiers that are sent dangerous missions that are far from the duty of a standard guard. The majority of the Royal Guard were victims of the Spire whether it be a mindless husk Spire guard or as a slave from the Spire.