Rhadam's remark made the whole group burst into laughter. Kierra, not wanting to disappoint him, took his lute back to the tent.
"Well then, tell us a story that won't make us miss the lute, my old friend," Marek teased Rhadam. Rhadam smiled and straightened up in his place. After shuffling the snow beneath his feet a bit, he began to speak.
"Do you know why dragons became the greatest enemy of mankind?" he asked."Oh come on, my friend, how many times will you tell this story?" Marek interjected.
"I won't get tired of telling it until you see the underlying truth behind the story, my old friend. If we want to solve a problem, we must analyze its root cause and come up with lasting solutions, and this story is the detailed history behind the problem," Rhadam replied.
Marek waved his hand dismissively and turned around, sipping his wine as he watched the forest. Rhadam, disregarding the mocking gazes of those around him, began his story once again.
Approximately 1000 years ago, humankind was experiencing its most glorious period in history. They lived freely all around the world and could travel to any region as they pleased. However, one day, for reasons still not fully known, a great war broke out between the two most powerful kingdoms in the world, Kalte and Whelix. The scope of the war quickly expanded to such a vast geography that all countries had to choose sides and join the war. They say that everyone living in that era was compelled to participate in the war. The war lasted exactly 5 years. Just imagine how terrifying that war must have been. In the entire world, not a single day passed without the war. The relentless clashes resulted in the victory of the Kalte Empire, while the Whelix Empire was on the verge of collapse.
After the Great War, the Kalte Empire rose to the pinnacle of global power, and King Hadera, who was the ruler of the country at that time, became the most powerful man in the world. There was still no other person who could claim that title on Earth. Being aware of this, he started pursuing an aggressive policy worldwide, which became the significant political further intoxicated unbearable, yet no one dared to utter a word against him. His unpredictable behavior, irresponsible and thoughtless actions, and disregard for state affairs caused the palace court to turn against him. None of the victories he achieved could satisfy him anymore. beginning of our disaster. He achieved victories him with against triumph. Foreign countries, which his arrogance became Poets and bards were insufficient in describing his wealth. One day, a call was made to all travelers and artists in the capital, announcing that unimaginable rewards would be given to the one who could draw the most detailed map of the world. This request created astonishment and was considered meaningless, especially by those in the palace. Palace officials who opposed investing the state treasury in such luxury and decorative items were either exiled or executed. As a result, no one in the palace dared to oppose the king. Upon hearing the call, craftsmen, travelers, adventurers, dreamers, in short, millions of people traveled for days with their makeshift maps in hand, aiming to present them to the king.
Six months later, a monk arrived at the palace gates. He had a large paper scroll on his back, and he was quite stubborn about showing its contents only to the king himself. The palace officials tried to persuade him because no one had been pleased with their maps when they appeared before the king, and they had all been executed. They attempted to make him reconsider whether he should show his map and face the king based on that, but the monk never wavered from what he had said. Finally, the monk was brought before the king. The king didn't even look at the monk's face and seemed preoccupied with other matters. The monk opened his map and laid it on the ground. It was indeed a colossal map that covered the entire world and included the habitats of all known species. The map captivated King Hadera's attention so much that he stood up and walked over to the monk. He examined the map for a full 45 minutes. Then he burst into laughter and ordered them to preserve the map carefully and move it to his chamber. They say that the monk was granted an island at the farthest point of the world. All the income from that island belonged to him, and he could settle and live there as he pleased. After that day, the king rarely left his chamber and spent most of his time working on the map and observing from the terrace. While scanning the surroundings with his telescope, he noticed a dragon flying miles away. Finally, he had found what he was looking for. His insatiable ambition had chosen a dragon as his target. He issued orders to the palace observers, instructing them to immediately start gathering information about the dragons' locations. He also sent harsh messages to neighboring countries, emphasizing that participating in the upcoming dragon hunt would be beneficial for the future of their nations.
Observation reports started arriving shortly after. Although the initial reports from different countries were hastily written, mainly focused on avoiding becoming a target rather than offering assistance, it soon became apparent that there were mentions of two different dragons. After months of research, the dragons' caves were discovered, and a massive army was mobilized towards that region. King Hadera saw this operation as an opportunity to enhance his reputation and reaffirm his power to the world. He claimed that he could single-handedly hunt down a dragon. Other rulers, although fearful, were compelled to participate in this mad venture.
As they approached the caves, although there was growing unease among the alliance, nobody dared to say anything. The dragon caves were located in a hidden valley nestled among tall mountains. The dragons had dug hundreds of caves all around the valley. However, the valley appeared to be empty. Hadera ordered the first group to descend into the valley. The soldiers were so close to each other out of fear that they looked like a large ball from a distance. They advanced halfway through the valley, but nothing happened. Convinced that the valley was safe, Hadera ordered all the armies to descend into the valley and explore all the caves.
The information from all the caves was the same. There were no dragons around, but the caves were filled with dragon eggs. Feeling humiliated and believing that the entire operation was in vain, Hadera ordered the destruction of all the eggs in a fit of anger. They lined up the barrels of gunpowder they had brought and BOOM! They blew up all the caves simultaneously, effectively eradicating the dragons' lineage.
After the explosion, screams and roars echoed from all sides of the valley. Hadera tried to keep the army together, but it was in vain. The power of the dragons was on a different level. I hope we never have to experience it until we die. Lightning struck the top of the army. Fire rained down. A human has no chance against such pure power. The scattered army fell into the cracks that suddenly opened in the mountains. Lightning relentlessly mountains, shattering them into pieces. Flames mountains. The mountains literally started moving. Those who witnessed this power lost their minds, but none of those who participated in that attack ever returned. Hadera perished, trapped among the dragons, and his army was annihilated.
pounded the
After humans declared war on dragons, the dragons retaliated with great fury and swiftly destroyed the mighty kingdom of Kalte, which was the dominant power of the time. During this massive attack, the seal of the Earth's crust was broken, transforming the once renowned center of science and technology into a massive valley. With the breaking of the seals, unleashed creatures flooded the surface like mad, terrorizing almost the entire world for many years. This period is known in world history as the "Dark Century." Although it took a long time to contain the creatures, they were eventually defeated and nearly all of them were trapped in the valley they emerged from. However, the problems they caused never truly ceased.
As you know, this valley is now known as Unrhoba, and it is the exact source of all the problems our country is currently dealing with. Disgusting creatures hide there. They breed. And when their numbers increase, they attack our country. The greedy war against dragons nearly brought an end to the human race. For many years, it was cursed, and that's why it's called the "Cursed Kingdom." We cannot consider ourselves completely free from the troubles it brought upon us."
"Of course, these are stories that have remained as legends," Kierra said."But at the same time, it is the only story that can explain the events that happened during that period," Rhadam replied.
"This time it seemed to last even longer. I have a headache, I'm going. " Flavia teased and walked towards her tent, placing her hand on Rhadam's shoulder.
After Rhadam finished his long story, everyone went to their tents and rested. The following days of the hunt were no different from the first ones, and after a week, they decided it was time to return. The wildlife was coming to life, and before the wolves descended in packs into the forest, the group wanted to leave the boundaries of the forest. They began preparations with the first light of dawn, and soon after, the group set off on their journey. Just as they were about to take a break, Kierra approached Flarka.
"We are being watched.""I also occasionally feel like we're being watched, but I haven't found a single trace yet. It seems like the person watching us is quite skilled at hiding. Where is it right now?"
"It's hard to pinpoint his exact location. Every time he reveal himselves, he appear in a place unrelated to his previous position."As they were talking, a roaring sound emerged from the depths of the forest, sending shivers down everyone's spines.
Flarka and Kierra locked eyes, and Flarka began to speak:
"Whatever is making that roar, we better leave the forest before it reaches us. Otherwise, having someone following us will be the least of our concerns. Whoever is watching us will be forced to reveal themselves once we're out of the forest. He can't hide outside. Let's continue to act as if we haven't noticed them."
Flarka continued riding his horse, while Kierra, having dismounted his horse, gave the order for the soldiers to continue on the path and proceeded to advance alongside his king.
Comments (0)
See all