Purply had risen to such a height that from below, the tops of the great mountains were only visible as scattered dots. The view was so enchanting that Artoris's eyes couldn't tear away from it. The wind whipped through his hair, and he wondered how much time had been spent to create such a realistic composition. Such extraordinary graphics had never been seen even in the most modern games. It must have been the result of a titanic effort lasting over a millennium, probably leveraging augmented reality as well. A simple award wouldn't be enough to honor such a masterpiece, not even a Nobel. Arturo longed to meet the programmers to shake their hands, believing they deserved more than just appreciation for creating such an extraordinary game.
In front of him, Kira's scarlet hair danced in the wind as she stretched her arm towards the sky. With a fluid motion, her hand opened and seemed to brush the endlessly passing clouds. In the face of that sight, anyone would find inner peace. He just wanted to close his eyes and imagine that the view could last forever, without human conflicts, without having to rule a kingdom. He wanted to enjoy this journey in total tranquility.
Geronimo wouldn't appreciate this beauty; for him, it was just an ordinary landscape. But for someone with a critical eye like Arturo, especially towards games, this setting was a true feast for the eyes. He couldn't stand the idea of having to share the world with someone like Geronimo. He wanted this magnificent masterpiece of nature all to himself; Geronimo shouldn't even try to breathe the same oxygen as Arturo. He felt as though his private property had been violated.
They crossed a variety of places, as marked on the map, including rivers and waterfalls, large pine forests covering the entire territory. And now they were delving into a mountainous channel stretching to the horizon.
Purply began to glide at low altitude, his wings flapping slower and slower. He felt a slight fatigue in his back, not being used to prolonged flights, but he was driven by the movement. His legs started to feel heavy, unaccustomed to flying for long periods, he needed a break to catch his breath. Arturo noticed this fatigue, felt the heartbeat quicken, and understood that Purply wanted to rest and would continue flying until exhaustion unless the king ordered otherwise.
"Purply, that's enough, let's rest."
Purply's gaze brightened.
His eyes spotted the peak of a mountain where they could settle. Purply descended to the ground and placed his long legs on an intensely vast rocky expanse with a sloping surface. Kira jumped like an artistic gymnast and landed gracefully on that sloping terrain. Artoris followed suit, but his jump didn't go as planned, and he ended up face-planting on a rock.
HP.-99.
"Ouch!"
Purply gave Artoris a desolate look.
"Master, I beg your infinite forgiveness, unfortunately, my wings have dried out, it happens when I fly for too long."
"How long before they're restored?"
"24 hours."
"That long?"
Artoris stroked his chin. "Alright, then we'll find an alternative."
"S...so, Master Artoris, c...can I sleep?" Purply responded.
"Granted," Artoris replied, with an authoritative voice that chilled the air.
Artoris activated the map and realized they weren't far off, the dwarves' valley was the next stop. Kira was sitting on a rock, her gaze lost in the void, looking at the rest of the mountain stretching out below.
"Did you forget we have an escaped slave?!" Kira said.
"That would be a real problem. We'd end up facing the dwarves right from the start. At that point, we'd be forced to attack them directly," Artoris replied.
The moon rose in the sky, illuminating the mountain and highlighting its scattered rocks and the numerous caves arranged in various directions. The terrain was rugged, with some stones crumbling, showing signs of a possible landslide.
Kira picked up a stone and tried to chew it, cracked it with her canines; it was salty but inedible, so she spat it out along with the remaining fragments.
"Bleah!"
Dan had the travel provisions, but Aurelia might have removed them to hinder the king's journey. Therefore, there was no choice but to make do.
Kira wrinkled her nose, sniffed something, jumped up from the rock, and looked around. Artoris watched her curiously, but in a moment, his sixth sense also began to press on his mind.
Suddenly, from behind a rock, a group of individuals appeared, wielding swords in their hands. Their gaze was hostile, blinded by rage.
"Who goes there!" shouted one of them.
They wore armor; were they knights? No, knights weren't this hairy and certainly didn't have cat-like ears poking out from above their helmets. The beastmen surrounded them, not intending to let them escape in any way.
Artoris stepped forward, his cloak billowing, casting sinister glances. The beastmen instantly backed off, clutching their swords tightly.
"The demon king?!"
They were so shaken that the swords were about to slip from their hands.
"Do you want to destroy our territory too, is that what you're after?!" shouted the squad leader, positioning himself in front of his companions.
Artoris took another step forward, closing in on the squad leader, a man with the face of a wolf and yellowish eyes, his fur covered in a gray layer, with white spots on his cheeks. His hand snapped instantly, unsheathed his sword, and swung it at the king. Artoris preempted him, emerging in front of him in all his grandeur. The wolf shuddered in fright.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
The demon king lifted his arms and swiftly grabbed the squad leader's ears. "Are these real?" he asked in a deep voice. Artoris leaned in, a strange smile playing on his lips. With a quick move, he took the beastman's furry ears between his fingers and weighed them curiously. "EH?" responded the leader, incredulously.
The squad leader fell backward, scrambling back behind his companions. "Chief!" shouted one of the companions. "What do we do?!" "Attack him! Now!" the chief shouted. They all nodded, but none wanted to make the first move; they were so agitated that they hesitated to clash with such an opponent.
Artoris trembled at the thought; he would have faced difficulties in a possible duel against the squad leader since they were of the same level, which was humiliating for a king. But Artoris managed to keep his cool and shot a glaring look at the beastmen, who murmured among themselves for courage: "Wasn't the demon king dead?!" "Maybe he's resurrected!" "W... what do we do? It's King Artoris, flesh and bone." "His name was Artoris? Doesn't sound much like a demon king's name."
Artoris raised an eyebrow.
"SILENCE."
The cutting tone of his voice echoed. The beastmen froze instantly and dropped their weapons.
Artoris flashed a smirk and crossed his arms, his cloak billowing.
"You're right, my name doesn't strike terror in your hearts, but don't worry, I'll choose one that does."
The beastmen shuddered at the sound of those words. The squad leader still lay trembling in fear, gasping at the thought of facing an opponent far superior to any creature he had ever encountered.
"Chief!" cried a companion, his voice vibrating with fear. "Give us more orders!"
The squad leader was on his knees, pulling hair from his head with his nails.
"Please, spare us. We'll do anything you ask, but please spare me. The others can be killed."
"CHIEF!" the companions roared in unison.
Artoris grinned.
"You're quite the coward, but since you pitiful creatures amuse me, I'll forgive you!"
They all let out a sigh of relief.
"Provided that..."
Anxiety shook them again.
"Your territory falls under my dominion."
"But that's impossible! We're just a simple troop; we can't grant you such a privilege—"
"Silence. Don't dare speak to me in that tone. Only I may speak."
The soldier shivered and sewed his mouth shut.
"Take me to your lands and let me speak with whoever is in charge."
The squad leader, with a resigned look etched on his face, nodded and stood up.
"I will accompany you."
Pff... and this is a leader? We're doomed.
Artoris was there by pure chance; he had no idea that the beastmen inhabited those surroundings.
They descended the mountain and found themselves on fertile ground, with houses surrounding the area, thatched roofs, and anthropomorphic inhabitants bustling back and forth. Artoris could have easily ravaged the entire village. His figure caught everyone's eye; they stopped their tasks and were seized by a tremendous horror as the demon king roamed their village. The squad leader tried to reassure the inhabitants, alerting them that nothing serious had happened.
Artoris raised his hand in a gesture of peace, his gaze sweeping over all the inhabitants.
"I don't want to harm you, you just need to follow my orders, clear?"
They didn't fully grasp the significance of this visit, but they remained silent, immobilized on opposite sides, forming an orderly line where everyone bowed their heads.
Even the beastmen fear me!
Kira scrutinized those faces with delight, licking her lips as if they were delectable; she strayed from Artoris, going her own way. The king tried to grab her, but she was too quick.
"You always have to do your own thing!"
The squad leader panicked. "Why are you letting her roam free?"
"Can't my servant wander as she pleases?"
"Y...yes, b...but, look what she's doing!"
The beastman pointed in a direction, and Artoris looked up to see a bunch of inhabitants lying on the ground with their entrails out, some even still alive and screaming in agony. Kira turned around, holding a reptilian in her mouth, and voraciously decapitated it in an instant.
It's always the same with her...
The squad leader led him to someone who could provide more information, taking him to a large wooden house.
Every few moments, the squad leader wiped the sweat-laden brow. With a racing heart, he tried to meet the king's gaze.
"Inside this house is the village chief."
Artoris swung the door open and stepped onto the wooden floor, his head hitting the tiny ceiling, his horns piercing through the straw.
In front of him, seated in a comfy armchair, was a frail turtle, propped up by a cane, with a beard flowing down to the floor. The turtle stood up, hand dancing and gripping the cane firmly for balance. His eyes, shadowed by his eyebrows, met Artoris's.
"W...W...Welcome, stranger!"
Artoris stepped forward, his cloak casting a shadow over the frail figure.
"I am Artoris, the demon king, ruler of a kingdom, and I, at this very moment, demand that these lands become my property and you beastmen my subjects."
The turtle's mouth quivered as he tried to speak.
"The demon king?!" His eye widened slightly.
"You will support us by providing food and weapons, and guide us to the Dwarves' Valley to assist in our mission."
"You want to possess the prestigious weapons of the dwarves, is that what you mean?"
"I see you're long in the tooth, old man."
The turtle coughed suddenly. "Once, the dwarves made weapons for us beastmen."
Artoris raised an eyebrow.
"This was not mentioned to me!"
"However... we beastmen no longer receive weapons from them, it was our king who requested that they no longer be made for us."
"What?! And why?!"
"Because...COUGH COUGH!"
"Speak, old man!"
"If you don't heed my words, I swear solemnly that not even a shadow of your existence will remain!"
The old man was frail, trembling with every step.
Perhaps I'm overdoing it!
The old man's mouth trembled, and the turtle looked at him.
"As I was saying... we... no longer... accept weapons from the dwarves!"
"But I thought they were the most powerful weapons!"
The old man, with a vibrating mouth, tried to speak again. "We no longer have contact with the dwarves. They no longer make weapons for beastmen."
Stop repeating yourself!!
"For what reason?"
"The reason is... the reason is..."
"Speak!"
A smirk brushed Artoris's face, he held back from laughing, not wanting to lose the intimidating aura he had created. He was too tempted to pull the cane away, wanting to see if the old man could stand without it. Artoris was too distracted to do it.
The turtle's arm slipped from the cane, losing balance and falling face-first to the ground. Artoris laughed so hard his lungs might burst.
The squad leader panicked, seeing the old man trying to reach for the cane that was out of his grasp.