4 A Meeting with the Outcasts (1/2)
It was truly mind-boggling to the think about what he'd gotten himself into by pure chance. This was an opportunity people would die to obtain. Mortals in Mulia worshipped conquerors as true to life deities, and even contenders received deep respect as 'chosen ones'.
Mortals offered tribute in the form of taxes and worship to the four empires in Mulia in return for the protection that they offered to them. Ever since the four empires formed thousands of years ago, not a single mortal state under their rule had ever suffered from an attack.
An uncivilized and chaotic world had finally been blessed with peace and proper order. The four empires formed under the supervision of four legendary individuals that had achieved great merit during their climb together to the top.
The Moon King chose to rule the northern plains of Mulia and after establishing his empire, mysteriously retreated into his domain and had rarely been seen since then.
The King of Flowers ruled the beautiful, tranquil south and was responsible for supervising all other empires since the other three sovereigns frequently were not available most of the time. He was considered by many across the world to be the de facto ruler of Mulia itself because of the nature of the circumstances surrounding the empires.
As a result, many affectionately addressed him as ”Father” because of the gentle personality he possessed and the fact that he more or less held the modern world together as it was known.
The Queen of Shadows took the western mountain ranges of Mulia under her banner when she formed her empire. Little is recorded of her due to her natural inclination to remain hidden and the few things known about her were likely kept secret amongst the upper echelons of the world.
The Lion King ruled the eastern lands of Mulia, the vibrant grasslands and forests that formed the heart and soul of the world. It was the empire with the largest population and held some of the most renown noble families in the world.
Of particular interest, the Dragoncrest and Ashborn families had their place main branches there. These two families were famous across the world for having the distinct honor of being the first to have created such a fearsome bloodline. A joint project of incredible proportions that left the world in awe once it was discovered.
Both families meticulously plotted to have their kinsmen marry into the four royal families and after several centuries of effort, they succeeded. Their children would then be forced to marry with other the family's children until children carrying the bloodline of all four royal bloodlines were born.
”Genuine madmen, but you have to give them respect for the efforts that they put into their scheme. They bred themselves into
He'd gotten unlucky the more he looked at the facts. The north had an absentee ruler and a frigid, inhospitable climate that was unfit for habitation. The only reason an empire existed in the north at all was because of the technological marvels that allowed mortals to harness Anima indirectly.
Were it not for the great guilds' creation of the Anima generators that allowed small scale terraforming of the surrounding area, mortal beings would have never been able to settle down in the northern part of Mulia. The temperatures in the north frequently hovered a hundred degrees below the freezing point of water. It was a barren, frozen wasteland that held little life.
Only creatures that had evolved to withstand such unforgiving conditions lived up here and none of them were friendly, so to speak. Mortals would freeze to death before they'd be killed by the local predators, though. Not sure if that was comforting or not.
Contenders and conquerors stood a chance at traversing the wasteland unhindered depending on their strength. A powerful contender who had been blessed enough would eventually develop a body that could withstand almost any environment. Conquerors didn't even to rely on their already immortal bodies to withstand the cold, they would just use their Alma to render any inconveniences away with a thought.
It was a blessing that the training ground was located in the lower part of the northern border, but it was probably done on purpose. If they had built it too far north, some idiot might have wandered out of the spire and died a stupid death.
In any case, heading south seemed like the best course of action. It was the only area that had an active ruler and was considered to be the most peaceful of the four regions. Reed dreamt of a cushy life where he lived by the beach and slept around in a cozy hammock until sunset.
There's no way I'm going to freeze my ass off for this empire. Not in a million years. Golden beaches and sunny days are the only things waiting for me once I get out of this drab place...
Suffice to say, he didn't want to think about the hard reality of his situation and pushed any unpleasant thoughts deep down. He excelled at improvisation and usually acted before he thought in demanding situations.
Hesitation was an insidious killer that wrapped itself around one's neck before you even noticed it. Reed had seen it kill men firsthand and long ago swore to never let it get the best of him. Remaining calm under pressure was a heavenly virtue; acting swiftly and decisively was divine.
Reed had nothing to do after he finished his studying session, so he decided to get some fresh air before he went to sleep. He was feeling a bit anxious about what was laid in store for tomorrow and felt like a quick walk around the spire would help him unwind a bit.
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Reed found a few people still out in the hall conversing when he left his room; a majority of the group had already turned in for the night as he expected. The ones that were still awake were loudly conversing and laughing as if they were having the time of their lives. An odd bunch of fellows.
As soon as Reed walked out into plain view, one the young men called out to Reed and said, ”What's the matter, man? You also got bored with being cooped up in those shitty little prison cells, too? They fucking suck, right?” The youth had golden hair and eyes that shone like an emerald. A tall and slender figure that easily overtook Reed if they both stood side by side. He resembled a prince that belonged in a fairy tale if it weren't for his rotten mouth...
Ah, shit. I should have walked behind the pillars instead of out into the open like an idiot. Now I've
got to deal with them...
”Yeah, it felt a bit stuffy in my room so I came outside, haha. What are you guys doing up so late, shouldn't you all be preparing for tomorrow?”
”Prepare for tomorrow?” The blonde boy and his friends immediately began to crack up and began howling again for a solid minute. What did they find so amusing?
Reed assumed that they lacked common sense; he silently classified them as 'outcast' types. Socially inept, partially insane, or perhaps just plain stupid. Low IQ or EQ. Either way, these people were no good. Associating with them would the same as tossing himself into a maelstrom of trouble.