As the sun rises to bring forth a new day, the party wake up and go about their usual habits. Brushing teeth using brush grass and slime paste, Freyja spends time brushing her long, smooth silver hair while the others are already changing. Wilter, Henry, and Greigore leave their tents and see Benjamine resting peacefully against a log. Henry decides to play a prank on him, but the other two try and stop him to no avail. Henry gets closer to Benjamine while Wilter and Greigore sigh and drop their heads.
"He's dead."
When Henry touches Benjamine, he is thrown on his back faster than he can comprehend. When he opens his eye lids and tries to focus; all he can see is a dark figure on top of him and starts feeling his chest become heavy.
"Don't ever… do that again."
His eyes come into focus, and he sees Benjamine on top of hm, holding up an open flat hand with fingers pointing to his throat and a death glare on his face. All Henry can do is tremble as he realizes how close to death he came. Greigore taps Benjamine on his shoulder before speaking.
"It's over now. Don't, harm him please."
Benjamine lets out a sigh as he releases his grip on Henry and stands up. Wilter helps Henry up before giving him a bit of advice.
"Henry! Never try and pull a prank on seasoned warriors. They are different from new recruits and will not hesitate to kill you if they feel threatened."
Freyja emerges from her tent and notices the tense atmosphere. Her gaze lands on Benjamine who is leaning against a tree, and Henry being helped up by Wilter.
"What happened here?"
Benjamine responds before anyone else.
"Henry tried to prank me, and I almost killed him."
She walks up to Henry, a dark expression on her face before she slaps him so hard, he goes spinning faster than a Beyblade before coming to an abrupt stop as he slams into a tree.
"You idiot. What even possessed you to do something that stupid? Do you want to die young?"
Henry recovers from his sudden stop before falling to his knees, crying and apologizing profusely for his actions promising to never do it again. Benjamine nods as he goes to sit on the ground. The others gather around him, interest and wanting to know more fill their eyes. He scratches his head unsure of what to tell them.
"If you want to know that badly, then I'll tell you."
The others sit around him as he tells them what they need to know for the time being.
"My name is Benjamine Bloodgrave. I am a paladin from two millennia ago. I was supposed to be imprisoned by the gods for eternity because of leading a revolt against them. They feared me because I have the power to manipulate and destroy the souls of others as Freyja witnessed in my battle against Tartarus."
The others look at Freyja with questioning gazes.
"Don't worry. I asked her not to say anything because I wanted to tell all of you myself. If we're going to be together from this point on, you should know one thing."
Everyone is drawn in wondering what he has to say.
"I have only one objective. The annihilation of the pantheon of gods. That is the reason why I fought them two millennia ago, and it hasn't changed. I have no mercy or sympathy for anyone who worships them. That is the path all of you will be forced to travel if we stay together."
His expression is morbid as he remembers those closest to him who were killed by the gods after choosing to follow him. Greigore places a firm grip on Benjamine's shoulder, followed by Freyja, and then Wilter.
"You, make our dream come true. Thank, you."
"After watching you kill an actual god, the first thing that came to mind was a wish I made years ago. I wished to see the end of the gods."
"I know we are not on the level of your past members, but all of us are united by the same feelings. Absolute hatred for the gods. But thanks for telling us the truth Benjamine, I'm still sorry with the way I treated you in the dungeon."
Benjamine is shocked by their response, his open mouth turns into a smile as he realizes how fortunate he really is to get a second chance at killing the gods. After a bite to eat and packing everything up, the party leave on their way to the city. The terrain soon changes from a dense green forest to a rocky, uneven terrain that proves a bit of an inconvenience on their journey. While climbing over rocks and sharp stones, Benjamine asks a question.
"What can you tell me about the city we're returning to?"
When they reach the top of the mountain, it drops down into a lush green valley surrounded by a giant forest. Benjamine takes a closer look and sees a big star shaped object next to a giant lake. Wilter smiles.
"That Benjamine. Is the city of Erib, the agricultural capital of the Spes kingdom. All the kingdom's food produce come from Erib, and it distributed throughout the land. It is well fortified hence the star shape you see, and it has a powerful defence on the water side as well."
"I can understand it being a valuable asset, but why is it so heavily guarded?"
Wilter sighs and his brow furrows.
"Because it lies directly on the border with the Stella and Lupus kingdoms. There is peace for the time being, but I fear the current king is leading it to war."
"What do you mean Wilter?"
"You'll see when we arrive there and meet the king."
Freyja touches his shoulder as she passes him.
"Wilter might be uptight sometimes, but he really cares for people more than the royals."
With a smirk on his face, Benjamine follows the group down into the forest. The rest of their journey continues without incident, and they eventually arrive at the city gates. Benjamine is taken aback at the size of its gate, it's taller than a four-floor house and wide enough to let four carriages' through at a time. They are stopped by the guards, Wilter pulls out a bright colour card and gives it to them. Their eyes widen expressing words of surprise and unbelief. The guards talk to each other before shouting to the inner soldiers.
"Inform the king, the exploration party has returned triumphant."
The guards let them pass into the city, giving Benjamine a suspicious eye which he ignores as he follows the others into the city. As they walk through the busy streets, Benjamine takes in all the peculiar, rich smells from the market and small shops. Greigore notices him getting distracted and calls his name.
"Benjamine! We, can do that, later."
Benjamine shakes his head and catches up to the group. The two-way stone street is bustling with carriages and wagons transporting goods and other items of value through the bustling medieval European styled city. Benjamine has no time to look at how much the world has changed as they make their way up a steep, winding street that leads to the main castle. As they arrive, two soldiers wearing dark blue capes and a crown insignia on their silver armour push the gold-cladded spiral palisade gate open, allowing the members access. Benjamine asks in a whisper.
"Who were those soldiers?"
Freyja responds in a soft voice.
"They are the kings royal guard, hence the blue capes and crown insignia."
Benjamine falls silent as they enter the main residence of the king of Erib. They are greeted by the king's personal servants and escorted to the main chamber. Wilter looks at Benjamine before they enter the chamber.
"Please leave the talking to Freyja and me. No matter how much you desire to kill him, please let us handle it."
Benjamine closes his eyes and sighs while nodding as the ornate doors are pushed open and they walk in. He is instantly hit by the atmosphere which is heavily tainted with the god's energy but tries not to show his disgust. Freyja looks back at him with pleading eyes before turning to face the king. Benjamine stops himself from throwing up as they approach the king's throne, and the energy gets denser. Wilter and the others kneel on one knee and Benjamine follows their example. Wilter begins to address the king.
"King Eribis, I come bearing good news. We have successfully conquered the dungeon and returned with an added member."
He gestures towards Benjamine and everyone tenses up.
"This is Victor, we encountered him on our way to the dungeon, and he proved to be a welcome addition to the party. Without his help, we would never have reached the hundredth floor, and we would've probably been killed."
The king's eyes widen at Wilters last statement.
"How can this be? Were the monsters that powerful?"
"It was not the monsters; it was others we encountered in the dungeon. They were wearing armour with this crest on it."
Wilter throws the shoulder guard at the king's feet before continuing.
"It has come to my understanding that this crest belongs to soldiers who serve Tartarus. If you don't believe me, I have witnesses that will confirm we encountered Tartarus himself in the dungeon after fighting his men."
The entire court bursts into an uproar and arguing among the ministers begin. King Eribis abruptly stands up before shouting at the top of his lung's.
"SILENCE!!!"
As quickly as the uproar began, it stops. King Eribis is visibly shaken before speaking.
"This is outrageous. The gods would never interfere with the living realm. That was the pact they made with us all those years ago."
Wilter and Benjamine share a look of confirmation at the king's reply. Wilter speaks again.
"King Eribis, I am telling you the truth. We encountered Tartarus and his men; they even had two hydras accompanying them."
A cold sweat runs down the king's brow as he struggles to find his words. All his ministers share concerned looks with the king's silence. Wilter and the others remain silent, waiting for the king to continue. After calming down, king Eribis continues.
"Very well. I will have my ministers investigate the validity of your report. Did you find anything of significance in the dungeon?"
"No king Eribis, we unfortunately never found anything of significance in the dungeon. It was a barren dungeon, not even gold or silver."
The king frowns and sits on his throne before letting out a sigh.
"That is very unfortunate. I was hoping to reward you by letting you keep all the treasure you acquired in the dungeon. I will have to reward you out of the treasury for making you risk your lives to explore a fruitless dungeon. I will have your reward ready by tomorrow. You are dismissed."
The party stand up, bow, and leave the court. When the doors have been shut, king Eribis beckons Bradly over.
"Yes? King Eribis."
"Bradly. We will have to move our plans forward. Arrange a meeting for me with that woman, I have a few questions I'd like to ask Her."
"I will make the arrangements right away king Eribis."
Bradly leaves the court and proceeds to an underground chamber which descends into darkness. He takes a few minutes to steady his composure before heading down the uncountable number of stairs. Outside the castle, Wilter and the party make their way to an inn to rest for the night. After paying for rooms, they order drinks and sit at a table to discuss what happened in the court earlier. Wilter opens the conversation.
"Did any of you besides Benjamine notice the king's reaction after we mentioned Tartarus and the hydras?"
Freyja responds first after taking a swig.
"He is hiding something. Otherwise, he wouldn't have reacted the way he did."
"Good observation Freyja. Do any of you have an idea what it could be?"
Greigore sits there in silence, looking at his mug.
"I think, the king is working, with the gods."
Benjamine smiles at his answer before slapping him on his shoulder.
"Very impressive, Greigore. You are correct."
Greigore bows his head and takes a swig of his ale. Henry sits there astounded by what he's hearing.
"How can you be so sure of this?"
Wilter rubs Henry's head smiling.
"It's called intuition and maturity. You're still too young to grasp the concept. Give it a few more year's then ask yourself that same question."
Disgruntled, Henry drinks his ale and remains silent for the rest of the evening. Hour's pass and Freyja, Greigore, and Henry excuse themselves, leaving Wilter and Benjamine alone. When they are the only remaining people at the table, they begin discussing the afternoon's event. Benjamine is the first to speak up.
"Wilter, I already have an idea which god he is working with. It's either Belzin, or Ginin. Those are the only two who would interfere with the living realm this way."
"If that's true, how do we go about exposing it?"
"Both those gods are creatures of habit. Once they feel there is no opposition, they will make themselves known. They can't pass the chance to revel in their twisted schemes. When that happens, I will proceed to kill them like I did Tartarus."
The night wears on as the two discuss a way to deal with the king and his accomplice hiding in the shadows. After their meeting, the two turn in for the night and await the new day. When dawn comes, Benjamine is already up having a cup of coffee when Freyja walks down the stairs, wearing a long, beautifully frilled black dress that accentuates her smooth olive skin and draws your attention to her refined features. She is surprised to see Benjamine up early and takes a seat next to him before pouring herself a cup of coffee. Benjamine sits there in awe at her beauty.
"You look amazing."
A light blush appears on her face as she takes a sip.
"Thank you. So, what did you and Wilter talk about last night after we left?"
"We were discussing a way to deal with king Eribis and expose the one working with him in the shadows."
"I see."
She takes another sip, sitting in deep thought. Benjamine' face lights up with a brilliant idea when he looks down at his tattered clothing.
"Do you know of any shops that sell clothing around here?"
She gives him a cheeky smile before responding.
"There are a lot to choose from, but I think there is one you will like. I'll show you around on our way there. But first, coffee."
He chuckles before going back to drinking his coffee. No one else has woken up yet when they finish, so they head out into the already bustling streets. Freyja takes Benjamine around the city, showing him all the best places to trade, eat, and buy weapons. Benjamine cannot believe how many shops are in a single street as they continue.
"This is nothing like two thousand years ago. A lot has changed."
"Yes, a lot has changed some for the better but most for the worst. I will show you the dark secrets of a city they don't want you to know about."
She leads him through a dark alleyway which opens into a slum. People are lying in the street, half dead, their bodies are skeletons from malnourishment. Corpses litter the already disease infested streets, while kids fight each other over a scrap of stale bread, even killing each other. Their eyes look towards the two of them, devoid of life and emotion. Freyja leads him back to the clean part of the city where he can no longer suppress the urge to puke. Freyja rubs his back before speaking.
"That is only one of the many things that has not taken a turn for the better in this world. The shop is just around the corner."
She leaves Benjamine and proceeds down the road. After gathering his composure, Benjamine catches up to her and they arrive at a small shop with a wooden door front and small glass windows. Freyja enters, followed by Benjamine and she immediately raises her voice in a cheerful tone.
"Tristiana, it's me again."
A tall plump woman walks through the curtains and greets Freyja with a smile brighter than the sun.
"Freyja! I'm so happy to see you again. I was so worried when I heard you were going to explore a new dungeon. I couldn't sleep properly for the entire time. Who did you bring with you? A possible prospect?"
Freyja rolls her eyes at Tristiana before responding.
"This is Benjamine. We met him on our way to the dungeon. He was a big help to all of us, even though he and Wilter didn't get along at first.I brought him here today so he can buy himself new clothing."
Tristiana begins examining Benjamine, considering his stature and looks. Before long, she has come up with the perfect look for him.
"Wait here darling."
She goes back through the curtains and starts creating his clothes. Benjamine looks around the shop and his eyes land on a very peculiar set of clothes. When he takes a closer look, he is shocked to see it was the clothes he wore more than two thousand years ago when he fought the gods. He holds it up to take a closer look, but as soon as he touches it, it turns to dust leaving him stunned. Just then, Tristiana emerges with a new set of clothes for Benjamine, stopping in her tracks.
"Many people have touched those clothes, but you're the first person that's made them turn to dust."
A tense silence fills the space between them.