Gods, Kings and Young Heroes: A Tournament of Discoveries

With the first rays of the morning sun, a new adventure began for Mortis and Shiva. They traveled on the back of Nightshade, Mortis' faithful companion, through the lands of her kingdom, which they ruled. Although she was queen, Shiva had not yet personally explored many areas of her own kingdom, having lived mostly in isolation in the palace. This trip, therefore, offered her a unique opportunity to see her own country from a new perspective.

They traveled through different regions, visiting both small villages and magnificent cities, and encountering people of diverse backgrounds and cultures. The landscapes varied from picturesque valleys and high mountains to vast plains and dense forests that underscored the natural diversity of the continent.

During their journey, Shiva and Mortis had the opportunity to learn more about the daily lives of the people of their realm, hear their stories, and learn about their traditions and customs. In the process, they also discovered more about each other, learned about each other's little idiosyncrasies, and deepened their bond with each other.

Finally, after seven days of exploration, they returned to Rome to participate in a special event: the first worldwide Tournament of Children. This tournament, organized by the gods, aimed to foster a spirit of competition and rivalry among young people and to identify those who were worthy of receiving the gods' blessing and becoming adventurers.

The gods, in their limitless power and wisdom, had sent envoys to every town and village. These envoys had the task of finding young, ambitious children who were willing to prove their abilities in the upcoming tournament. Once selected, the children were transported directly to the center of a gigantic coliseum using the envoys' teleportation magic.

Meanwhile, through magical portals that appeared in various parts of the kingdom, enthusiastic citizens poured directly into the stands of the colosseum. Thanks to the use of space and dimensional magic that surrounded the Colosseum, there was no limit to the number of spectators. The stands, although they seemed to offer infinite seats, allowed each individual to have a clear view of the center of the arena, where the young participants were waiting for their big moment.

The entire ambiance of the Coliseum was electrifying. The crowd surged with excitement and anticipation as the children, both nervous and determined, waited for the signal that would begin the tournament.

The kings and gods enjoyed the tournament from special boxes that not only offered a privileged view of the arena, but were also served by magical servants who fulfilled almost every wish. These lodges were interconnected so that trade and conversation between the rulers and deities was easy.

Mortis and Shiva had had to interrupt their honeymoon for this event, and at first were not pleased to have to resume their duties. But duty remains duty, and Mortis quickly found comfort when he met his other wives in the lodge. With warm hearts, they greeted each other affectionately, even though the women were somewhat embarrassed to steal Shiva's time alone with Mortis. Nevertheless, they were thrilled to have their husband back with them.

Elara and Elysia, on the other hand, showed no mercy and immediately took Shiva to task for every detail of what had happened between her and Mortis since the wedding. Shiva, though initially surprised by their interest, eventually shared some anecdotes and stories with a smile. An atmosphere of fellowship and tea was created while outside in the arena the first challenges of the tournament began.

First, the children of the peasants and commoners competed to measure their skills and courage, as well as to show their imagination in the use of magic. Since there were several million children to be tested, the gods decided to use several small arenas simultaneously. In these, the children had to compete against dummies, which, however, looked like demons and monsters. This alone could be used to judge who was willing to bravely face an enemy and who preferred to flee.

For the children who wanted to practice magic, the gods had to be especially resourceful. Almost no child could read or was encouraged to learn more than counting to ten. Since magic is based on intelligence, the gods developed the bracelets that could produce magic to the point where they could also discover the child's potential and make them more intelligent for the time they were used.

Equipped in this way, even the children who had received little encouragement so far could demonstrate their magical abilities and compete with the others. The arena became the scene of shining spells and creative solutions, while the gods and kings watched intently and judged the children's performances.

The kings and gods all expressed surprise at how determined the children of the land were. Despite their fears of the dummies and their lack of experience with weapons, many of them showed remarkable talent. Some children initially chose the wrong weapon, but the gods and examiners showed mercy and let them try other weapons.

Primus was especially attentive, along with some priests and guards, to find capable personnel for their order. They all had paper and pen with them to take notes when they deemed children capable of joining their order. But it wasn't just them, Diana, the goddess of the hunt, was also looking closely. This spurred the other gods on, and they too took the scrutiny more seriously, looking for offspring and believers they deemed worthy.

The kings, regardless of their race, watched the proceedings but did not pay too much attention. They rather used this opportunity to conduct negotiations or to boast. Mortis, on the other hand, watched very carefully and discussed the results with his wives, who had also gained quite a bit of experience in the last few months. He did not want to talk to other kings, instead he enjoyed the effort and ambition of the children and thought about which of them could serve as soldiers and guards for him.

Half the day passed, and the children who had excelled were provided with equipment. Then they were teleported from the small arenas to the big Colosseum to make this event a real tournament. Even though there were many tears among the children who had not made it this far, they were not treated badly at all, quite the opposite. The gods went through the ranks and offered their blessings to the children should they wish to pursue the call of the adventure.

As a parting gift, the children with potential were given a ring that would teleport them to the next temple when they turned 15, so they could become adventurers and begin their training. The orphans were sent to temples to take care of them even now. The children who had no talent in magic or fighting were given candy or some money, depending on their situation.

The gods, kings as well as the nobles rose and applauded the brave children for whom the test was over today. In doing so, they showed their fullest respect for their courage and commitment. It was a moving moment, with the entire arena filled with applause and cheers. Mortis and Shiva were also impressed by the determination and will of these young souls to pursue their dreams and face the challenges. 

While the children of the commoners and peasants stood in the arena and held their tournament, the noble children began to prepare. Different rules applied here: Not everyone just participated, but only those who really considered themselves worthy to represent their kingdom. All the races were preparing for their battle to begin soon, to show what the hierarchy was.

The lodges were now in full turmoil among the nobles and kings, all eager to see their children step forward and present themselves to the world. The atmosphere was one of anticipation and pride, everyone hoping their candidate would do well. Mortis and Shiva watched intently, eager to see how the next round of the competition would go.