Monarch's Rebirth: Chapter 6

Our plan today was to find monsters at the border of the Rigel Empire. Most dangerous and strong monsters originate from the Polaris Empire. Sometimes they wander into the Rigel Empire where they end up causing distress.

But first, we will have a quick break at a little village called Redwater.

I turned to Felix with a smile "Hey Felix! Let's race!" I shouted.

"Count us down then!" He replied with confidence.

"Right then!

Three... Two... One..."

Felix and I began our race and sped up. We were racing down the empty road which led straight towards Redwater.

We were neck and neck for most of it. Felix was as eager to win as I was.

Felix begins to slow down and preserve his stamina. I noticed him falling far behind and slowed down with him.

"Smart move!" I shout back.

"Don't tire out Blizzard just yet!" He replied. "We have a long way to go!"

I look back to find Felix far, far behind me. I felt happy but did realise that Blizzard was getting tired.

***

Felix comes up beside me and stays neck and neck. "We're almost there!"

"It's a battle of stamina now!"

"I'm sure you're nearly out!"2

I give Blizzard one last push and leave Felix behind. We climb up a hill before spotting the humble village right in front of us.

"You're not getting away that easily!" Felix says as he begins his catch-up.

As Felix caught up to me, I push Blizzard one more time. I didn't know his limit but I was willing to find it even if it meant injury.

Redwater is a humble village that is surrounded by a short wall. The entrances are guarded by two guards at all times for the safety of the village.

Their population is no more than 70, including children. It is as humble as a village can be.

As we closed in on the village, I take the lead and finish the race as the triumphant winner.

Both of us slow down and stop right in front of the gate. Felix looked at me with an annoyed smile while laughing himself to death.

"Damn it! How did you go so fast at the end!" Felix exclaims in defeat.

"Blizzard was not at his limit," I snarked arrogantly. "He still had a lot left in him!"

Felix looks at the gate "Darn! Well, we made it here. Let's take rest first and set off after our horses are fit."

"On your command."

The moment we entered the village, the guards had taken notice of us. One of the guards was starstruck and gawked with wide eyes as we passed through.

"Y-your majesty!" He exclaimed. "What brings you here to this humble village!?"

I halted and turned to him. "We're just passing through," I replied. "We're headed towards the border.

"Understood!" He stands tall and gives me a salute. "Stay as long as you wish!"

The villagers take notice of our arrival and halt in their tracks. They move out of the road and stared as we gently rode through.

"King Artorius!" An elderly man shouts. "It's him! It really is!"

People came out of their houses and stared. All I could do was smile and wave at everyone.

The village had the ambience of a small village from a fantasy role-play game. It was small but had everything. Farm animals, villagers of all ages, a tavern and a forest that surrounded it.

We stopped right in front of the tavern and tied our horses down. Just as we were about to enter, I turned around to look at the village, only to be met with a dozen heads.

"F-Felix!" I call out as he was entering the tavern

"Yes? Is everything- oh."

Felix was startled as well, seeing the audience I had gathered just from my mere presence.

"Why are you all gathered?" I asked the crowd. "Is something wrong?"

Everyone began to whisper to one another. Felix and I were left confused.

"Are you here for the beast?" A village voiced through the crowd.

I walked closer to the crowd on the porch of the tavern and looked at them with a perplexed expression.

"Pardon? What beast?" I asked. "I've not heard of a beast existing in this village

Felix thought for a moment before he spoke. "I've heard rumours,"

An idea came to my mind at that moment.

"Let's kill it then!"

"W-what!?"

It was like fate had planned this. A village that is terrorized by a beast and a man who is on the hunt to kill dangerous monsters.

"If you're here to fight the beast," An elderly man voiced. "Have you brought reinforcement?"

"It's just me and Felix."

The crowd started to whisper and chatter again. I was curious about this monster that hides in the woods. I want to know more about it.

"Let's take care of this monster then," I tell Felix while heading inside the Inn.

"This doesn't seem like a smart decision," Felix protested.

"Too late to back out now."

We entered the tavern and looked around. There was a bard playing songs who stopped as soon as we walked in.

A fire pit in the middle kept the inside dimly lit as it cooked food for the people.

Everyone's attention was turned to me.

"Continue with the song will you?" I told the bard before walking towards the counter.

The counter was handled by a young woman who looked a few years older than I was. She saw the two of us approaching and tried her best to stay calm.

"W-welcome to Redwater, your majesty! What can I help you with?"

"Bring the two of us a light breakfast," I ordered. "Oh, and two bottles of wine."

"As you say," She bows before scurrying away as fast as she could.

"Seriously?" Felix turns to me and gives me a disapproving glare.

"It's just a bottle for us two, it won't hurt."

He shakes his head. "You and your alcohol." He said before walking towards a table.

The lady comes back with our drinks and puts it down on the table. "Please enjoy these as we cook the breakfast,"

We grab a seat on a bench and wait for our breakfast. The bard continues his songs and most of the people turn their attention to him.

A group of young people–around the late adolescent age–walked into the tavern carrying their weapons and being garbed in armour.

The young boy who looked like the leader noticed me sitting at the table and went wide-eyed. We both made eye contact and I became curious.

"Hey, you," I pointed at the boy. "Come here for a minute."

He shrieked in shock before walking over, nearly stumbling into the fire pit.

I pulled him closer to me and smiled. "You know anything about the beast in the forest?"

"W-well, everyone here knows about it. We tried many times to track it and kill it but whoever has gone in the woods, has not come back out."

I nodded and listened to him explain. "I see. What else can you tell me?"

"From the rumours and stories of people talking about it. It's a wolf that is as tall as a hut and as big as one as well. It lurks in the forest and hunts everything. People that have faced it in person have been killed to the point they barely were recognizable or barely escaped."

"When was it sighted the last time?"

"The most recent one was just a few days ago. It was deep within, more to the left of the village."

I give him a gentle push on the back and let him go. "Thanks for the information. Rest and grab some food. I need your group to help me out. No need to worry about the cost either."

"T-thank you, your majesty!" The boy said before walking away in a confident stride.

Soon breakfast was served. The breakfast was beans, roasted poultry and bread. Standard breakfast for most. Felix and I dug in and ate while talking between ourselves.

"I've heard a bit about his beast," Felix says after gulping down the food. "It has a resemblance to a wolf but it lets out a gentle glow from cracks on its body."

"Have you heard of such a beast's existence before this?

"Not at all," He shakes his head. "This is the first time I've heard of such a beast with such an intimidating appearance. All the rumours surrounding it fuels the fear."

"We should deal with it swiftly then."

We finish the meal and quickly finish my wine as well. Felix, who has a strict code of not having alcohol on duty, gives his one away and asks for water instead.

"Right then," I stand up and called out to the adventure group. "Have you all rested?"

The leader turns back, startled and nervous. "Y-yes, your majesty," He says while standing up.

"Come with me then,"

We walked outside and had the adventurers line up in front of me.

I cleared my throat before I

"Didn't you just say we should not risk the lives of others?" Felix questioned.

I found it quite amusing that he could not see through my plan. "Do you know the way around the forest?" I questioned him.

"Fair point."

Felix and I took our horses and headed to the entrance of the forest. Soon enough the four had arrived together.

I cleared my throat to explain to them what we would be doing. "Ahem, listen closely,"

They were a party of four. A young but mature leader, a bulky man who wielded an axe, a middle-aged mage and a young elf girl who wielded a bow.

Their party was like an average fantasy adventure party. A tank, swordsman, mage and a range.

"We plan to defeat the beast that has been terrorizing this village. You will be our guide through this forest and help us track it down."

The leader raised his hand. "Can I ask a question, your majesty?"

"Go on,"

"Will we be doing this alone?"

"You're not alone," I reassured. "It's six of us. We can do it."

They all seemed nervous but determined. However, the elf seemed emotionless, almost like a doll.

"Grab your rides, if you have any. Let's move."

We took our horses off their leads and waited for the group to do the same. Only the leader had a horse which he took the elf girl on.

As we ventured into the forest, I looked around to take in the scenery of such beauty. Tall fur trees stretched for miles with natural clutter filling up the ground underneath.

Shrubs, stones, fallen leaves and other naturally fallen items littered the ground.

There were many fallen trees and huge boulders as well. It had a spine-chilling and mysterious ambience. Almost like death loomed over these lands.

We ventured deeper into the forest and found its inhabitants. Foxes, wild boars and squirrels were abundant while birds like ravens and larks lived on the branches.

In the distance, I spot a strange creature that was unfamiliar. It bobbed up and down in the air as it flew close by. It was a small griffin!

It was just as big as my hand. It flew by without batting an eye. Strange to spot such mythical creatures being treated as common animals.

***

We searched for quite a while but we found nothing. We found a few footprints that came from the beast but it did not lead to anything.

"We've searched the forest through and through," The leader informs us. "This should be the area it was last spotted."

I doubted the existence of this creature by now and was starting to get tired.

"We're sure this exists, right?" I asked the leader, feeling scammed.

The leader looked at me, eyes full of fright "I've seen it with own two eyes. It looked at me with glowing eyes. It was past midnight and the forest was as dark as the sky. Yet, the glow from the cracks on his body gave off a gentle glow."

I fell silent and looked around a bit more.

Not far from us, I spot a rock formation that looked interesting. Everyone else noticed and walked towards it.

"Huh, a cave?" Felix questioned. "This looks strange."

I turned back and questioned the leader "How long has this been here for?"

"A century at least," He replies. "I've seen it a few times but never investigated it.

The group felt uneasy but followed reluctantly. I stopped and got off Blizzard to get a closer look at the cave.

The cave was huge and led down quite deep inside. There were a few small creatures but it was not what we were looking for.

As I stepped away from the cave, I hear loud thuds approaching from my left. The ground beneath me began to shake and the sound of trees breaking echoed around.

Everyone, including me, became locked in place. I looked to my left and watched as a giant figure approached through a dense fog.

"Move back slowly..." I whispered. "Keep our horses safe."

"T-that's him… It's the beast…" The leader whispered, fear oozing from every word.

"Felix, move our horses to a safe place,"

Felix hops off and slowly guides our horses. The thuds became louder and the ground shook harder.

I take my sword out of its sheath and walk towards it. The beast continued its slow stride towards me.

The creature kept grunting and making low growls. Slowly, it emerged from the fog and faced me head-on.

All the descriptions I heard of the beast were true. A wolf-like body with glowing cracks going all over its dark furry body.

Its eyes glowed an orange hue. It looked at me and opened its jaws, growling and becoming alert.

I began to walk around, trying to find a moment to strike. Its eyes followed me no matter which direction I tried going.

Without warning, I point my sword at it and conjure an ice spike at the tip of my blade before shooting it. The spike stabbed through with ease and the beast roared in anger.

The beast charged towards me with insane speeds even with ice spikes jabbed into its body.

As it came close, I jumped over him using the wind to propel me higher. It crashed into a tree and tumbled to the ground.

The wolf became enraged and roared. The roar echoed through the forest, warning the animals and making them flee.

I tried to damage him with a flurry of wind blades but it was futile. I danced around in the sky as it tried to jump and catch me. Its rage continued to grow as I annoyed it like a flea.

I land on the ground to regenerate mana and catch my breath when suddenly it opened its mouth.

"You cannot," I mumbled to myself.

I quickly reacted and made a giant ball of ice. The wolf was conjuring mana and creating a blast of fire to shoot directly at me.

The wolf shoots the fire beam and I shoot the ice ball as well to defend myself from it. I barely managed to shoot it in time and it crashed with the wolf, stopping the fire from engulfing me

I cover myself with a wall of ice, making sure nothing sets fire to me. The wolf falls to the ground with a ball of ice in its mouth.

It got back on its feet and ran to my left. I followed it and waited for its attack.

As it charged at me, I prepared myself for one last dance. When he got close enough, I jumped in the air, high enough to where he cannot reach me.

I aim my sword at him and begin falling. I barely managed to catch it and stab through.

The beast began to roar in anger and violently jump around. I kept my balance and held onto my sword, trying to keep it from digging out.

Suddenly the wolf became calmer. I dragged my sword through its skin and ran to its head before jumping on it.

To my surprise, an arrow had struck the beast dead in the eye. It caused the beast to fall into a stun lock.

I stab into the wolf's skull and conjure a spike and shoot through. The spike strikes through the skull and comes out the other end.

The beast falls to the ground and the glow that came from its body disappears.

Thinking that it was all over, I sigh and sheath my sword. My heart pounded out of my chest as I tried to catch a break from the fight.

Suddenly I hear an ear-deafening roar from behind me. The fog was too thick for me to make out what it was.

It stood tall with a neck as tall as the trees. Its body was bigger than the wolf's and had two massive wings that stretched far and broke trees.

I looked up at it. "Impossible... A dragon..."