NOVEL NEXT 530 Rev’Deca
Having sated their hunger with sandwiches filled to the brim with meatballs, olives, spinach, tomatoes and cheese. Washed down with a cup of milk each, to top it all off with more nutrition for the day, Asai de Trichia and Robin Sol continued their eventless tour of Armenes.
To the man's surprise, 90% of the villages, settlements and towns he has passed through consisted of female dekans. Evidently, their men were all forced into compulsory conscription. Leaving the lucky few behind to impregnate the rest, who lived within the finest buildings which indicated their identities as nobles.
..
After hours more of sight-seeing, trespassing with no visa and bypassing all toll-gates as they pleased. The two finally sighted the capital city of Armenes, Rev'Deca. The city was built upon an island that had a river that naturally defended it, making the large stone-walls almost impossible to scale, as harpoons manned the walls in great numbers, in addition to the high levelled dekans that patrolled the wall.
Even without the system to quantify their combat prowess, it was as clear as day to both Asai and Robin that they were the elites as there were hardly any humanoid dekans at all. Being an entire city of evolved dragonkins who were insanely orderly and disciplined.
Hijacking the castle roof for themselves, as patrols continued to march just under them, Asai was extremely pleased with their progress as he twirled his two golden karambits around in habit. As for the Robin, the half-elf was tightly gripping her two mithril daggers as her eyes refreshed [Detect] over and over again.
Whilst the dragonoids that patrolled the city were all around level 50-70, the dragonoids that lived within their royal palace hovered around 70-85. In fact, Asai was staring intently at three dekans who were passing by, discussing their food-issues.
By the grace of the gods, the three were strictly adhering to protocol and would address one and another professionally, rather than use nicknames or tags like the humans would. Thus, the human's system updated to confirm their names.
[Mattew Mal: Lvl 94] The largest dekan there was apparently in charge of overseeing the population and military growth.
[Dion: Lvl 91] The third largest dekan, smaller by just a few inches, but still capable of towering over Asai, was Armenes' strategist.
[Matrash: Lvl 93] The second largest of the trio was only in charge of military-training, and often times leading the armies himself.
Flanked by a retinue of 8 dekans each, who were creepily emotionless, disciplined, and moving in sync. Asai had no thoughts on trying his luck, as the two of them were insanely outnumbered, and the nature of his mission and reason being there wasn't to assassinate but to rescue.
[??: Lvl 80] [??: Lvl 80] [??: Lvl 80] [??: Lvl 80]
[??: Lvl 80] [??: Lvl 80] [??: Lvl 80] [??: Lvl 80]
Staring at the lifeless guards, their usual laughing, cheering, drooling and occasional snapping of teeth like alligators was no where to be seen. Things, habits he had seen many times before, in the actions of the lower-levelled dragonkin.
"Perhaps they have no personality? No desires of their own, no wants, no needs, just brainless following of their orders... The perfect soldier huh."
..
Following the three, as they appeared to be highly regarded by all the guards who would instantly stand-aside and bow, Asai and Robin soon found themselves spectating a ritual of sorts.
In a spacious ground, tall-torches and straw wicker-mans piled up within the middle, blue-skinned dekans were eerily dancing within circles. Statues of lizard like dragons decorated the area, whilst baskets filled with goblin-meat were swiftly brought out and placed before the hundreds of dekans like a feast.
Feeling as if it would be a waste of precious time to be watching them celebrate, or whatever it was they were doing, Asai was about to turn and leave. When Robin's hand latched onto his cloak, keeping him there. Following her line of sight, as he naturally believed in her instincts over his own, he soon observed a group of humanoids being dragged out in chains like prisoners to a beheading.
A weakened-lycan was at the front, whilst a hob-goblin took second, a Crocodile that stood upon its two rear legs was third. Trudging forward like he was already dead was a human who had been stripped butt-naked, exposing his skinny and starving body to all.
[Jack: Lvl 68]
The only clue that gave the man's identity away was the tattoo upon his chest, being the prince's templar order's insignia, identifying him as a templar named Jack.
Saying a quick prayer to the human, who appeared to have already come to terms with his fate, Asai noted the tunnel in which he was dragged out from. Certain that it would lead them to either the rest of the human prisoners currently held captive, or if Goddess allowed, to His Highness, prince Victor Del Lagos.
Eager to see what lies upon the other end of the tunnel, he wanted to make haste, but alas Robin's hand only tightened its grip as confusion and worry overwhelmed her emotions.
So much so, that she pulled the man down, shoving him onto his stomach as the two laid upon the roof as close as they could, to minimize their exposure.
Unable to speak to the girl, as such vibrations were much to loud and risky, he kept his gaze upon the latest arrival to the feasting grounds.
[Dacate Ves Rev'Deca: Lvl 99]
Asai honestly almost mistook it for a dragon, as its evolved state was incredibly close to being one. Whilst he wasn't the size of a football pitch, like Thrud or Hodr was, the king of dekans was massive in his own right. Wearing a royal mantle of his own that ended before reaching his spiky-tail, the shields belonging to the templars were stitched into the material as if they were badges or medals of honour. A kill score of sorts, of only the strongest humans who were famed elites.
The abyssal dekan seated itself, rapping its tail around himself as he plucked and threw a goblin's corpse into his maws, consuming it in a single bite.
Strangely enough, another dekan was soon marched out with deadpan eyes, and whilst there were no iron shackles around her limbs, she was decorated with red tribal patterns all over her body. Marching herself towards the pile of straw wicker mans, as well as the other prisoners who were thrown into it, she climbed on up herself before bowing to her king and remaining within that posture.
A torch bearer emerged next, causing both Robin and Asai's eyes to open in disgust and shock, as the flames were lit and the straw instantly blazed. Carrying the flames, burning and cooking the group of humanoids like sacrifices, the dekans started to cheer and roar.
From the centre of the ritual, a red light erupted as its energies surged outwards, enveloping the entire kingdom of Armenes before fading as quick as it was activated.
..
Feeling a poke in his ribs, Asai looked on over towards his beloved partner. Confusion struck him for only a second before realization struck him even harder.
[Hide] and [Disappear] had been forcefully deactivated. And even when they tried, their mana-hearts refused to act. Almost as if mana had cease to exist within the kingdom of dekans...
"System?"
"Caronia?"
"Lemon!?"
"..."
Try as he might, he couldn't even utilize [Inventory] to summon his weapons.