章節 2: PROLOGUE- ARRIVAL AT STARRI CITY
PROLOGUE- ARRIVAL AT STARRI CITY
[Sometime before that]
"The Kingdom of Drachia is a mesmerizing realm located in the vast and diverse continent of the Ten-Kingdoms. It is renowned for its deep-rooted magical traditions, ancient history, and enchanting landscapes.
Drachia is a land of both wonder and mystery, attracting people from all over the continent to witness its splendor and power.
The Kingdom of Drachia is considered one of the most influential and prestigious kingdoms in the region, mainly due to its possession of the illustrious Conjurer's Court.
This institution serves as the ultimate authority in matters of magic, revered for its wisdom, knowledge, and its contribution to magical research and education. The Conjurer's Court is a hub of arcane knowledge, where skilled templars and conjurers gather to hone their craft, share their discoveries, and uphold the balance of magical forces within the kingdom.
The Kingdom of Drachia also holds an essential responsibility as the guardian of the magical portal to Elis, a realm of ethereal beauty and divine significance.
The portal, known as the "Gate to Elis" is a sacred conduit that connects the mortal realm to Elis, the seat of the Church of All-seeing.
The Church of All-seeing is not only the dominant religion in the land, but also serves as a center for seekers of truth, wisdom, and enlightenment.
Pilgrims from across the Ten-Kingdoms embark on journeys to Drachia to visit the Gate of Elis, seeking spiritual revelations and divine blessings. This sacred portal is carefully guarded by both the Church's devoted clergy and the powerful Apostles, the magical beings who defended the church zealously with their magic of justice and light.
The kingdom's landscapes are breathtaking, filled with enchanted forests, hidden glens, and shimmering lakes that hold ancient secrets and magical creatures.
Despite its magical allure, the Kingdom of Drachia faces challenges and conflicts, both internal and external. Rival kingdoms such as its neighboring Kingdom of Trogdol might seek to expand its borders to Drachia, and internal power struggles within the Conjurer's Court and the Church of All-seeing could create tensions."
"Excerpt from the Annals of the Ten-Kingdoms"
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The Apostles conquered the Temple of Solomon, a temple of thieves and assassins, and exiled all those people who were captured from Kalydon city here in Drachia kingdom to work in the mines.
It was my mission to rescue them.
We took a long flight south from Discord Island toward Drachia kingdom, riding on a modified shuttle craft developed by Sara.
The shuttle's engines and equipment were created with the technology and science of the 23rd century Earth but it was, ironically, powered by magic of this world through a fusion of science and magic.
[Sara's relationship with me is complicated. Suffice to say that we are like siblings. Sara is a powerful magic user who has knowledge of 23rd century Earth technology. She is the Chief Engineer of Nyx kingdom, my kingdom, where I am her king]
The ride was smooth and quick, and our pilot was Chash.
"Wait look what are those down there?" Chash asked us pointing to a marching army.
Chash was one of my golems and also my friend. He was created from the immortal essence of the powerful Anti-Saint, Wrath, one of the Seven Deadly Sins who were the followers of the Dark Angel.
The Dark Angel was once an angel, who ruled this world and the magical realms under the angel's reign. He was banished from Eden, the seat of the Congregation of Angel and he fought with the angels ever since.
He lost many times in his epic battles against the angels which were prophesized in the Book of Revelations, a collection of materials that predicted those events, past and present.
I am the inheritor of the soul of the Dark Angel, and it was my mission to revive him and bring the realm of the angels to their knees.]
"Damnit the Demon armies are marching south towards Drachia", I replied to him.
"Are they going to attack Drachia kingdom as well?" Cassandra asked me but I would never know because we would be there, a long time before this army would reach it.
Cassandra was another one of my Golem friends. She has a crush on me, but she died young. I accepted her love finally before her dying wish and regretted not doing so earlier when I had the chance. Later, I managed to resurrect her soul to become a magical Golem with the Immortal essence of the Anti-Saint, Lust.
"I believe the demon armies may be going to attack the apostles in Elis, they are their main obstacles in the Ten-Kingdoms", Meera said to us.
Meera was a magical being that was born to serve me as my succubus, my concubine. Like Cassandra, she died at the hands of the apostles. She was later revived as a Golem, with the Immortal essence of the Anti-Saint, Envy.
Cassandra and Meera were among the most beautiful women in this world after their Golem resurrection and they continued serving me ever since.
Soon, we reached Drachia Kingdom in the south of the Ten-Kingdoms, the continent on which our world rests. The city that we came to was Starri city, the closest place to the Gate to Elis, the entrance to the realm of the apostles.
The apostles were the leaders of the Church of All-seeing, the official religion of this world.
"Where is that Mother Asereth?" Ratatouille asked me.
Ratatouille was another of my Golem friends and also one of the Anti-Saints, Greed.
I obtained the immortal essence of the Anti-Saints or the Seven Deadly Sins as they were called in the Ten-Kingdoms when I explored their ruined temple. Their magical essence was the reason my friends and loved ones were reborn as magic golems.
But among all of the Seven Deadly Sins, only Greed decided to follow me in my adventures.
"She didn't say to me", I replied to him.
"Aren't you supposed to meet her here in Staari city?" Chash asked me too.
"We arrived in Staari City following the instructions of Mother Asereth, but she didn't give us any instructions on how to meet her", Chash told us.
[Mother Asereth was the mother of the Temple of Solomons, a temple that harbored assassins and thieves.
This temple was once the supporter of the religion of the Dark Angel, called the Church of Nerakah. She doesn't have many ambitions of reviving the religion of Nerakah but she was concerned about the well-being of her followers.]
"Perhaps we came too early", I told them.
"Are you joking, we came several months later than we promised the mother", Ratatouille said to me.
"We got caught up in business, she'll understand", I replied to him.
"Look over there at the corner", Meera suddenly said to me.
There was some scribbling or graffiti on the dirty wall that looked like the work of some homeless person who had some time to waste.
"What is it?" I asked Meera.
"It is the secret sign of Solomon", she replied to me.
"What does it say or mean?" Cassandra asked her.
"The Temple of Solomon people have arrived in Staari city and are being very careful. They must be hiding somewhere to avoid the detection of the guards and the Church of All-seeing who are quite influential in the city. They are still being hunted by the Church as outlaws in the Ten-Kingdoms", Meera explained to us.
"So, the only way for the temple to communicate with their members is through obscure graffiti in the corner of walls around the city?" Chash asked her.
"Yes, that is their method", she replied to him.
"What does the graffiti say?" I asked Meera.
"The graffiti doesn't say much but if they have one here, it will mean they have people somewhere near", she replied to me.
Meera looked for more signs from the Temple of Solomon and found more scribblings that belonged to them.
"They are in the inn next to this street", Meera told us.
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Mother Asereth came to Drachia kingdom because she would establish a branch of the Solomon temple here while we planned and prepared to rescue her worshippers who we were taken by the apostles here.
But our activities in Staari city required great discretion and care because Staari City was close to the Gate to Elis, the stronghold of the Apostles, so many apostles were active around the city.
Mother Asereth saw me coming to the inn and before we made the usual greetings she said to me, "I've prepared a gift for you".
She quickly brought me to their room in the inn where there were many of her temple worshippers there.
"Now remember this boy and use his face", Mother Asereth brought out a young man at around seventeen years of age to my surprise.
Mother Asereth knew that I have a special ability to disguise as another person, so she prepared an alter ego for me while we would be operating in Staari city.
"What is his name?" I asked the mother.
"His name is Oriese and he's the son of a powerful aristocrat family here but he's not a good boy. He bullied and tortured his servants and other similar-aged kids, so we brought him back. He will be your face here", she told me.
"But I don't know anything about his family how can I pass off as him?" I asked her.
"That won't be a problem I would guide you", a pretty girl about the age of Oriese stepped out to speak to us.
"This is Saye. She's Oriese's maidservant and she knows everything about him and his family", Mother Asereth told me as she introduced the girl who would be my guide and handler.
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