Realm Wars

"Welcome to the last Islet of Tethyt!"

Everyone's jaw dropped. 

A tiny creature of Pink in color with a small wide head and lidless dark round eyes appeared. Three fins were growing on each side of its head, and its limbs were underdeveloped. 

(Pic)

"A Thanatos?"

Ryu frowned. "A what?"

"A Thanatos," Seraphina repeated. "They're creatures of the past and mostly extinct due to the many races hunting them for their hide and blood. Though different from its species, once they mature, they'll turn into dragons."

"D-dragons?" Kai stammered and looked at the harmless creature. It looked cute.

Dragons were Rank-A beasts that could transform into a human-like the other Rank-A beast. And once mature, they could be Rank-S or higher.

Seraphina's face then registered confusion. "But what's rare about that creature is. .. though it's still a babe, it could already speak."

Ryu looked over at the Thanatos obsidian eyes, and for a moment, Ryu swore that it met his gaze and smiled at him.

Meanwhile, the other mercenaries' pupils shone with greed upon the sight of such a rare creature. A dragon, once mature, they could put any price on its head.

The pink creature raised a finger and warned. "Don't even think about it. I am a loyal servant to Tethyt. And you are all inside her domain. Most of you couldn't even hope to catch me, much less attempt to sell me off. You'll be dead before you even take a single step towards me."

The mercenaries looked at each other.

"Tethyt?"

"Who's that?"

Buzzes of murmurs and voices rose in the air, and Ryu only thought of that woman he met in the cave. Could it be that it wasn't a dream?"

Ryu wanted to have his back check, but Ferris was the only person he felt safe to confide such secrets if there really was something engraved in his back.

Upon hearing Tethyt's name, Kai's shoulder slumped, and his face sagged. "Why couldn't I escape that accursed name?"

"Tethyt," Seraphina uttered with a severe face. "She's the only God that didn't have a title."

"You know her?" Kai asked.

Seraphina shook her head a little. "Only a little. It's an old lore long forgotten. A fable tale extracted from a scrap of a badly burned parchment of books. They said that the Gods were just a myth." She then swept her surroundings with her eyes. "Until today, that is."

"Ahem!" the creature stole everyone's attention again. "My name's Pink, by the way. It's my color, not because my master is lazy in naming me or anything."

The creature twirled and twirled in the air. "I'm sure you are all baffled as to why you're here. Well, it's simple. Because at least one of you acquired a piece of the map while the others just got dragged with you."

Ryu thought of what Pink said, and he was reminded of that piece of the map he found. Was that it? Skull had it now. That meant that it was supposed to be just Skull, who was supposed to be here? But since they were on the same boat, they got dragged down too?

"Anyho!" Pink hushed everyone's discontent voices and continued, "It's not like it's a disadvantage to you guys. This place is the home of my master. A long time ago, she opened its doors, and since then, many beings came knocking on its walls in the quest for her treasures."

Pink snapped its tiny claws, and a map floated on top of its paws. "This map is what brought you all here. Thought my master was dead, she made her last will. My master has many treasures, but she also didn't want to just give them away upon her death.  And does, her will, 'if the torn maps congregated in the Nightmare Sea, they shall have one last access into my lair and claim all its treasures for themselves before the islets disappeared completely.'"

Pink flung the map and said with a sobbing voice, "Who would think that after thousands of years, there really are beings that would find the torn pieces and come into my master's home? Pink is so happy to see other races than the usual inhabitants here."

Ryu and Kai looked at each other.

"Anyho! If you want to get out, just make it to the throne room. But. . ."

Pink cute face turned sinister as it laughed before disappearing. "There are beasts and monsters lurking in every corner of this islet. The dangers are high, but the rewards. .. you could only imagine in your wildest dream. Survive and all the reassure and items of the God Tethyt that you'll find are yours to keep."

Pink disappeared, but the confusion lingered thick in the air. 

"Treasures and items of the God?" Kai's eyes shone with greed. "With those, I'd be filthy rich." He then looked at Seraphina with all seriousness. "By that time, we could get married and have as many children as we want."

Seraphina's smile never wavered, but she put distance between her and Kai.

"We should be careful, though," she said. "Though it sounded enticing, Tethyt was never a benevolent God."

"Eh?" Ryu looked at Seraphina's serious face. The Tethyt in his dreams looked merciful and sounded kind.

"Then what kind of a God is she?" Kai asked. 

".. . She's known as the God who loves to play. I've read that she used to lure other beings in her place with the promise of rare treasures, but in truth, she was just bored and needed amusement. She didn't care about violence nor if the lower beings fought with each other over an item as long as she was entertained."

Kai's smile dropped, but the greed in his eyes never lessened. "It seemed like a God would do."

Ryu swept his gaze over the crowd. He hoped that he would spot Cecily or Rosa, but Ryu didn't know where to look first with the scattered people and their numbers.

Rumble!

Rumble!

A large pentagram appeared, opening a path into Tethy's lair. Some mercenaries hurried towards it in full force, afraid that the others would beat them from the treasures. At the same time, some took their time and observed their situation first.

"Let's go." 

To Kai's shock, it was Ryu who led the charge. He thought that he would look for Cecily first, but it seemed like he was in a hurry for something.

If this really was Tethy's lair, then there was a high chance that the Jewel of Tethyt was inside, and Ryu would claim it for Ferris.