There was a young boy, who is proud to call himself, a hunter. A title that was once proudly shouted and honored by his own country. Now, it became a folklore of his grandpa.
His name was Xerxez Herzthroven, a twelve-year-old prince born in Thallerion, at the Betelgeuse District. Thallerion name was derived from the Tell'Rion, referred to the Teller of Orion.
And the story begin, when the Orion entity, disappeared. Thallerion people in hundred centuries ago, they were a famous bloodline, they were called, the Orion's race —The hunter.
Imagine the world, where everyone depended on their celestial entity, the Guardian, a Sentinel who shaped humanity to live above the limit of mortal beings. Humans were no longer ignorant about magic, power, ability, and even life and death.
Celestial entities or known as Constellar entities, was sent to earth, the last bastion of life, the Earth planet. They were here for a certain purpose, to protect the last hope of life. However, humanity, a vessel of imperfection, destroyed the very essence of their purpose, it turned out, the presence entities, will only push humanity into the brink of death's maw.
Many years ago, beasts and demons were summoned to attack humanity, but many speculations in the group of Constellar entities, believed, those abyssal creatures were summoned by the Death entity, a mysterious entity, that kills life, everytime it touched. Orion believed that death entity wanted to destroy the very last planet with seed of life.
Orion entity, a king of hunting, empowered Thallerion's bloodline, endowed with advance fighting skills, a mass awakening ability to manipulate weapons, turning them into a great hunter, tactician, and even a fighter. But, the more human gained powers, the more they were closer to to the inevitable destiny—death, because of war, insatiable greed, and longing for power. Countries went against other countries, clan against other unique clans, and that, the world was plunged into complicated world.
Ancestors of Thallerion back then, were truly full of confidence to defeat those abyssal creatures, from the top to the bottomless pit of the Abyss. But, now, the current generation almost forgot how to reawakening the Orion's ability. Not to mentioned, they were now complacent with the closed wall, hiding from the harsh reality of the world.
But for a young boy who dream to be a hunter, and so, today, he marched beneath the green, turdy oak trees like knights, standing along his path. Even the story of his grandpa about the abyssal beasts, the young boy was still not afraid to go for hunting adventure alone.
Even the strictness of his mother, named, Xurien Wrez Herzthroven—who loves poetry, and singing was her hobby— were just music through the air that pass through his ear to the other side. Unlike, his father, Cerceux Herzthroven, king of Thallerion, encouraged him to be brave, and skillful prince in Thallerion. Sometimes, they both enjoyed the training lesson for archery, at the backyard of the palace, hitting the apple in the head of statue.
Caw!!!! Caw!!! Chirp! Chirp! Chirp! Trr! Trr! Trr!
As he heard a collective chirp of the birds, he sang a self composed song, joyfully. Suprisingly, the boy has a beautiful tone, do doubts, his talent was inherited from his mother.
♪♪♪
"Round and round the Earth will go,
Day by day, the seasons flow.
Birdies build their nests so high,
Eggs like treasures tucked inside.
Branches sway and grasses play,
Leaves go drifting far away.
One, two, three, or maybe four—
Shiny eggs to love and care for."
♪♪♪
Tweeet!!! Tweet!!!
As the boy moved through the woods beneath the verdant canopy, his steps was muffled by the moss-coated earth. Above his head, the cherished chorus of chirping robins, their bright chests orange against their blue feathers, echoed from the high branches of a thick, lustrous oak.
The boy's tough leather shoes, walked in the contorted roots of the giant trees, traversing any obstacle. It crunched faintly on the fallen leaves, carrying him deeper into the woods. A simple bow made of bamboo and strong nylon was slung diagonally across his back, and the quiver of arrows at his hip hinted at his purpose, though the reason for his solitary journey remained hidden beneath his royal blue jacket and simple white t-shirt.
Glob! Gloob!
He traced each tree branch as if following the crooked lines of a map. There, he spotted a blue shimmer—a robin's nest, hidden high up in an old oak tree. His heart swelled with excitement. In the meantime, eyes watched him from under the water. Sometimes, a creature moved closer to him, but it would hide in the thick mud if he noticed it. "Hmm...maybe it was just a tiny creature, toying at me."
With swift movements, he began to climb the tree, his feet gripping the rough bark tightly. Branches scratched him and brittle twigs broke as he climbed carefully. Soon, the forest lay beneath him like a green ocean. When he reached the nest, he carefully peered inside, his head rising like a sun.
"hehe..." He smiled as he saw the three shiny blue eggs lying there. "Got ya!!"
A wide smile spread across his face as he collected two of the eggs, leaving the smaller one to hatch. He whispered a sound of triumph. This was pure happiness, a feeling better than any royal decree. He stood in the tree, sightseeing the paradise below and then he breathed.
Grahh-grahh-grahh!"
"Hehe..." He saw more pale red feathers over there! "Hmm... that's a piece of cake!"
Hraahnk! Hrrrooonk! Hrrrahh!
Hrrrnkkk, hrrrnnkk!!!
The flamingo parents were unaware of his presence. "I'm sure I could snatch their eggs as many as possible. Because I am a child of Thallerion!" The flamingoes squeaked joyfully, but the young boy was now in the thick bushes, waiting for an opportunity.
Hraahnk! Hrrrooonk! Hrrrahh!
Grahh-grahh-grahh!
Hrrrnkkk, hrrrnnkkk
The boy chased by the aggressive flamingoes as he grabbed their eggs in the mud mound as if he snatched it like it was the most valuable items on his youthful life.
Hrrrnkkk, hrrrnnkkk!!!
"Anyway, those aggressive flamingoes almost pecked my butt!" He hid on the giant bushes, watching the flamingoes, as they lost tracked on him. He smiled as if, his lips were stretched as he thought he was still lucky, even though the female flamingoes were really aggressive, chasing him. "This is a hunter feel like!"
Indeed, the boy was still able to get their eggs. He put the light beige eggs into his pouch basket. Then, suddenly, the boy noticed something moving things beneath the water, something big like a fish, and then, the movement disappeared quickly.
Glob! Gloob!
"What are those moving things beneath the swamp?" His curiosity deepening the boy, vigilantly watching on the swamp, even though he was still unaware of the unknown creature's true form. At the same time, there was an object not far away in the flamingoes' bathing place, then, it creates bubbles with a low pitch, something calling at him.
SQUAWK!!!! SWAAAAWK!!!!
"Oh...that sound," his ears gripped an adorable squawk, different from any earthly birds. "If I am not mistaken...that sound was...The Crane!" Then he headed towards the big trees, searching for the source of the squawk. "If I could snatch one, it would be the most victorious hunt in my youthful life. But I still haven't gotten one. I wish I could trace their nest."
He had waited for so long, promising his grandpa that one day, if he could snatch one, he would give it to him. But...his grandpa had died a year ago. He sighed.
"Hmm...Don't worry, Grandpa, wherever you are in heaven, I promise to bring eggs from that mysterious bird to your tomb."
Gloob! Gob!
He wondered what the color of that Crane was. "Maybe it is also big?" This hunting season would be challenging for him. Concurrently, the creature moved in the mangroves, but the young prince just ignored it, thinking it was only a fish.
"Pssst!" The boy heard the whistle at him, but this time it was clear, and audible, as he waded through the knee-deep water, something glimmered at his feet, encrusted with sand and half-submerged. "Yeak!"
"Woah, what is this?"
At his first glance, he thought it was a stone, but upon closer inspection, he saw jewels embedded in its design.
"Oh, it's a dagger! Look, it's beautiful! Like...like a treasure. Who is the owner of this dagger?"
He looked around. From the thick mangroves, the water moved as if a giant fish was aggressively swimming towards him, however, before the creature do an ill intention, the dagger trembled on his palm as if it give him a warning. "Yow, the dagger was shaking?!"
Suddenly the dagger utter a manly voice, like a goblin pitch. "Yeak! Look out! "
"Whoa...what that sound!?" His skin hairs goosebumped , as he heard a guttural voice of a dagger, like a pudged man, with high pitch tone. "You're talking?"
"There is Monster!" The dagger seemed have eyes that see the surroundings.
"GRAWRR!!!! That treasure is mine!!!" The unknown creature suddenly jumped toward his hand where the dagger was located. It sounded, but in Xerxez's ear, he couldn't understand what it was mumbling about.
"Whaaaaaaa!!!!!! Monster!!!!?" The boy was shocked upon seeing the creature jumping towards him. It was a swamp lizard, with sharp claws like a sloth's. It was as big as a wild boar. He stepped back in astonishment, but its tail suddenly coiled around Xerxez's foot.
"Wheeeere ya goin'!!!! Groock!" The lizard mumbled angrily, but the young prince still didn't understand it. It sounded like a frog... "Crokcrokklock!"
"The monster said—well, don't ever try to hand me over him!"
"That's what he said?" The creature was trying to reach the dagger but the boy lifted it higher. "Hey...Let me go!!!!" The boy wriggled in pain as if, million ants were biting at his bleeding foot. Then, an insane idea came out on his mind. "You talking-dagger, help me!!!! —Ouch!!!" His foot was bleeding. "Hoo, you bit me, again!?" He stared painfully at the lizard, agonizing.
Then, the lizard started squinting a green substance around Xerxez's surroundings. "Heh… this piss o' mine'll turn the water green an' toxic. Even the fish'll keel over. The stench alone'll knock ya out cold. Crok crok! Go on—smell it, ya little runt!" The boy now understand what creature was saying as the dagger translated it, but he felt nauseous.
"Don't smell it, young man! Yeak!"
"Disgusting!!!! What is this green!?" "What a foul odor! Like...like a bitter dog fart?!"
"Use me hit him!" The dagger ordered. "Huh?"
The boy tried to escape from the reptilian's grip, which felt like an iron chain, so heavy as if a giant boulder was cemented on his foot, as it gripped him tightly like a snake. The moment he thought to stab the creature, the dagger in his hand suddenly flared up with a blinding light, accompanied by the sound of a sharp shriek from a bird.
"What's happening to you?!" The boy was blown up with wonder, he can't even imagine how it went through. But his hand, commanded, with precise action.
"Drrr… wh-what's this…? That blade's sparkin' up—lightnin'? Crok crok!! I gotta tell the master 'bout this… but—gaaah! Nooo! Ughhh! You'll pay for that, ya nasty little brat!" He was electrocuted. Clop!!! clop!!!! His four-pedal walked in the water without sinking in the water like a salamander lizard that run disparately, as wild as breathless fish.
"Wh-what's happening...did you kill it?" His eyes looked around to find the lizard out of curiously, then, when he realized the lizard was hurt, he laughed sarcastically. "Hahahha! The lizard ran away!!!" He didn't saw exactly how the electric energy on the dagger hit its rough skin because of the blinding light. "Thank you, talking-dagger!"
"Yeaks!"
"You coward!!! Such a nuisance! Don't try to show your face again...or you'll be toasted next time!!!!" The boy was sound relief as he got a revenge instantly, he shouted loudly in the swamp, echoing as the frogs, jumped too in the water. Although, he realized that lizard look like a baby Komodo dragon.
"My grandpa's stories about the monsters outside of the Thallerion's wall was real." He amazed. "Hey, what magic are you?" He moved it upside down, as he scrutinized it.
"Just call me a super dagger!"
"Ow, fantastic, you'll be my sidekick!" The boy was amazed. "Super dagger!"
"Any way... let's move on with that...it is just a rare encounter, with a wild lizard."
His excitement continued to watch, after he put the dagger in his pouch, waiting for the bird to sound again, even though his foot felt numb. He crept even closer to the thick bushes. Suddenly, he felt something trembling in his pouch, as if giving him another warning. "Oh, I get it... every time it shake...there is a threat coming."
While all this was going on, the lizard, with severe wounds, still managed to reach its master. It was panting and weakening. "The nasty boy...has a powerful treasure. He was in the stream... near the swamp."
"Treasure!?" The master's lips slit sharply on its rough cheek with a hint of greed. "Let's go!!! Let's hunt for a treasure!!!" He commanded to all frolicking lizards.
"Be careful...the dagger has a lightning ability! It can electrocute!"
The swamp lizard called many companions, a whole clan in unison. Their rhythmic sound was like iron screeching against each other. The swamp became dirty with the green substance.
"Whoa...why are there so many?"
"Oh, so this is the little brat, with a royal dress, haha...I wonder why he is alone here?" The master of the lizards thought. "Where is the dagger, is he hiding it under his jacket or in the pouch basket?"
"Young boy...give us the dagger if you don't want pain." The Chief of the swamp lizards spoke, it is bigger from the rest, as big as old komodo-dragon.
"Whoa, you can speak?" The boy was amazed as he saw a swamp lizard talking.
"We command you...Give us the dagger or else..."
"Who are you?" The boy gripped his pouch as if he was surrounded by the pirates who were ready to ambush him.
"Young boy... outside of Thallerion wall... You are no longer in a safe zone. This zone is where ferocious lizard waiting for a flesh as young as yours. So, if you want to live...give that dagger to me...and I promise you....you will—"