kingdom
Greece, a country haunted by the past, where many myths and legends still roam these lands. With the demise of of gods, their creations roamed freely in the human world—chimeras, hydras, and even the scourges of humanity released from Pandora's box.
Darkness shrouded a small village; the stars had long disappeared from the sky, and the moon seemed to be in hiding. In this nebulous darkness, cries and the sounds of battles could be heard, closer to the kingdom that was located in the coastal part of Greece.
In this darkness, a quartet of mysterious figures emerged, their faces concealed by hoods. Even from a distance, their battles with the creatures lurking outside the city walls could be seen.
On the road to the castle, a charred, destroyed carriage lay with lifeless bodies scattered around—unfortunate souls who hadn't reached the safety of the city before nightfall. Even in death, these unlucky people found no rest. Their bodies rose, seeking more victims, perpetuating the cycle.
However, this time, when the undead tried to attack the hooded figures, a fireball was launched at them, setting most ablaze. Those who managed to pass through the flames and jump onto the hooded individuals were met with a sword wielded by one of them. Their heads were swiftly severed, allowing them to finally enter the dark lands and find the eternal rest that had been denied to them.
The warriors finally reached the city gate, where various knights battled the undead. On the walls, archers fired flaming arrows at the enemies.
For a while, they had been under scrutiny upon their arrival. However, when the undead turned to attack them, one of the hooded figures suddenly blurred from view, disappearing from everyone's sight. But just as quickly, he reappeared in the same position. Simultaneously, all the monsters in front of the gate had their heads severed, their blood spurting into the air like fountains.
Seeing this, the soldiers who had been fighting were elated and applauded. As the quartet approached, they removed their hoods, revealing three men and a woman. One of them stepped forward, explaining that they were explorers who had come from afar in search of the remnants of the gods.
The guards understood and engaged in a brief conversation, asking where they were from and receiving quick, reliable answers from the four. They were soon granted entry, as the kingdom respected strong individuals, especially now that the hordes of Midas were approaching.
The quartet ended up staying in an establishment recommended by the guards. The owner was a friendly 40-year-old woman whose husband was part of the city's guard. Her name was Archiade. The four retired to their respective rooms, deciding to discuss their future plans in the morning.
After a good night's sleep, they met at a restaurant on the second floor of a city bar. The place had simple wooden chairs and tables, but it was sufficient for their meeting.
The quartet took their seats, ordered coffee, and discussed their journey so far.
"I wonder why Hades isn't making an effort to rescue the souls of the dead. He's letting things run amok, and anyone can manipulate souls now," Inmo was the first to speak, and Merlin chimed in.
"It's not just the souls; it seems like most of the concepts are lighter in this area, and it's much easier to control nature here," Merlin had noticed this before even observing what was happening with the souls of the dead.
"Well, we'll find out when we encounter the gods," Diana wasted no time getting to the point. She wanted to find the gods, and that was why they were here. According to the information they had received, Midas had connections with the gods, and his next target would be this kingdom.
"Of course," Inmo said while rolling his eyes. Ever since Diana had told the group the truth, she seemed like a broken marionette who only knew how to talk about finishing her mission.
Diana noticed this and chose not to comment; she simply sulked after that.
Franky, who was sitting silently beside them, could only resign himself to watching these two act like children.
In the end, they talked and reached a consensus that they should find the king to learn more about Midas, who was the ruler of one of the neighboring kingdoms. Thanks to their feat of displaying power upon arrival in the city, they were quickly able to arrange a meeting with the king.
Upon reaching the palace, they spoke with the king about why they were there and their quest for the gods. Seeing potential allies, the king decided to share the information he had about Midas.
Midas was a cruel king, but he had never started a war until one day when he transformed into a golden giant. Everything he touched turned to gold, and his greed led him to turn his entire kingdom, even its citizens, into gold. Afterward, he began gathering creatures of darkness like Minotaurs, Cyclopes, and even necromancers.
Midas had used this horde to conquer other kingdoms, killing everything in his path and turning it all to gold. It seemed his sanity had long departed. Now, he had his eyes set on this kingdom and had already sent his undead servants to weaken their military power.
The meeting concluded, and they reached an agreement that the quartet would assist in the fight against Midas and his army. Their accommodations were readjusted to the castle, where they would stay for the next few days.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
-
-
-
-
p@treon.com/Horadomori [Early Access][$1 = > chapter 65 on patreon]