Odyssey of the Renegade Sovereign

ROOOOOAARR!!!

The roar echoed again and longer this time, alerting all the nearby beasts who made a run for their life. The forest shook as if the earth itself feared that thing that prowled through it.

The serpent, whose eyes had gone red, hissed, which carried like thunder across the forest, each sound was heavy with venom and fury. It moved its large bodies, snapping the many trees on the way as its massive body carved a path of destruction.

Astrael's whole body froze as the oppressive aura seeped even into the cave. His instincts screamed at him to run, to hide, to vanish. Beside him, Clawdia bared her teeth, fur on end, her growl small compared to the monster's roar but fierce all the same.

While Baldoc didn't flinch as if he was expecting it. The old man stood at the cave's mouth, his silhouette outlined by the fireglow and moonlight in the dark night.

He half-turned, his gaze settling once more on Astrael. "Boy. Take my advice. Leave this place, and do not look back."

"But you—" Astrael started, words catching in his throat.

"I'll deal with it," Baldoc interrupted, his tone carrying the weight of finality, of inevitability. "You cannot even stand in its shadow without dying."

Before Astrael could say another word, Baldoc bent his knees, his cloak billowing as if caught in an unseen wind. Then—

BOOOOOMM!!.

He leapt in the air. In the single instance, he flew to the sky like a streak of lightning. For a brief moment, Astrael saw him silhouetted against the burning moonlight, then he was gone.

Astrael staggered forward to the mouth of the cave with wide eyes. From deep within the forest, the male serpent's roar cut short, replaced by the thunderclap sound of two titans colliding.

And every being heard it.

-----------

The wind howled in Baldoc's ears as he cut through the air, descending like a comet. His shabby cloak whipped violently behind him, and for a heartbeat, the forest below glowed faint orange from the fires still burning in the serpent's wake.

He drove his fist down.

BOOOOM!

The earth split open as his punch landed, a crater blooming beneath the serpent's massive body. The shockwave blasted nearby trees into splinters, dirt and stone exploding outward like cannon fire.

But the serpent… only reeled slightly, its massive head twisting while its scales gleamed like polished ivory in the moonlight. Its sapphire eyes narrowed, unscathed, unbothered.

Baldoc's lips pressed into a grim line. "Tch. Thick-skinned bastard."

The serpent attacked with his wide-open jaws, glistening with venom.

Baldoc pivoted, planting his heel in the serpent's snout with a resounding crack that flattened trees for fifty meters. But before he could follow through, the beast's tail whipped around—

CRACK—

It slammed into Baldoc like a mountain falling. The air split from the sheer force, a shockwave tearing across the canopy as the old man's body was flung through several trees. Trees and rocks were destroyed around him as the impact carved a trench in the soil before he skidded to a stop.

The serpent, without giving the time to the human in front of his eyes, started opening his maw. Its throat swelled, and then..

SSSHHHHHK!!!

A torrent of green venom sprayed outward, sizzling as it touched earth, trees, and stone. Everything it touched hissed into nothingness.

Baldoc darted sideways in a blur, venom splashing just behind him, eating a hole the size of a pond into the ground.

"Persistent thing," Baldoc muttered, spitting blood and straightening. His muscles bulged beneath the ragged robes, the veins in his forearm glowing faintly golden. "Guess I'll have to try harder."

The serpent roared and lunged again, tail cleaving the forest like a giant's whip. Baldoc met it head-on, his fist colliding with the scales—

BOOOOOOM!

The impact blasted both of them back, the shockwave flattening acres of forest.

Every strike that followed was an apocalypse in miniature: trees uprooted, boulders shattered, the very air quaking from the pressure.

The serpent's agile body slithered with unimaginable speed, as its tail swept mountains of debris aside. Venom hissed across the battlefield, forcing Baldoc to move like lightning, every dodge a hair's breadth from death.

And Baldoc… every punch, every kick, every strike was so heavy that even the stars seemed to flicker at the sound. Yet still—

The serpent endured.

Baldoc narrowed his eyes, exhaling slowly as dust and venom smoke swirled around him.

"…So. You are going to make me draw it, eh?"

" I didn't want to use, but you forced my hand."

He reached into his back.

Underneath the shabby cloak, a faint glow began to spill out, the hilt of a blade wrapped in cloth, humming faintly with restrained power.

-------

Just a moment ago..

The moonlight shone gently over Greenhollow City, painting the cobblestone streets in silver. The air carried the faint aroma of roasted bread and simmering stews as shopkeepers shuttered their stalls, calling out last goodbyes. Families strolled home, lanterns swaying in their hands.

"Mom, when will Papa come back?" asked a small boy, his tiny hand gripping the calloused fingers of a woman beside him.

"Papa will be home any moment," the woman replied with a soft smile, brushing his hair back. "And I've made your favourite food too."

The boy's eyes lit up. "Yayyy!"

Their laughter blended with the hum of life as others passed by—merchants counting coin purses, guards trading shifts, children chasing each other across the square. For a fleeting instant, the city lived in perfect serenity.

Then suddenly the ground trembled.

It was faint at first, but then came another stronger force, rattling windows and making the lantern flames shiver. Many people's heads turned, and the conversations halted. A dog barked and bolted down the street.

Above the city walls, guards leaned over the battlements.

"What in the gods' names…" one muttered, knuckles white around his spear.

Another pointed as his hand, shaking. Far off in the forest, the tree bent unnaturally, collapsing as though a giant hand swept it flat. A blinding flare of venomous green erupted, followed by a golden streak that tore the night like lightning.

"That's no storm," the captain said grimly, jaw set. "It's a beast."

Below, townfolk crowded and spilt into the streets. the streets. Parents clutched their children close so as not to lose them. Market stalls swayed, and the old prayed under their breath.

"By the Saints… what is happening?," one elder whispered.

"Why the ground shaking, Papa?" the boy asked, clinging to his father's side.

His father forced a smile, though his voice shook. "N-nothing son..., it's just an earthquake that will stop after a few moments."

Another boom split the night, louder now, showering dust from stone walls. The guards squinted into the horizon, where a colossal white serpent thrashed, visible even from the city wall. It crashed against something too small to see clearly, yet powerful enough to send shockwaves splitting the forest apart.

The townsfolk gasped, and some knelt while others froze with sheer terror, their awe and terror choking them still.

The captain of the city guard, who was standing in the city, watching the event unfold in front of him, voiced, almost like a prayer itself. "Pray the church was right. Pray God save us."

And hidden among the gathered crowd, a cloaked merchant whispered hoarsely:

"If that beast truly is what I think… then Greenhollow won't last a week if it wins."

The captain's jaw clenched as another quake rippled through the ground, strong enough to rattle the iron hinges of the city gates. The people had begun to panic as shouts rose, children cried, and some already started running toward their homes.

"Maintain order!" the captain bellowed, his voice cutting through the chaos like steel. He slammed the butt of his spear against the stones, the sharp crack halting some of the panic. "Guards! Assemble into squads. Seal the inner streets. No one leaves the gates. Anyone causing unrest will be restrained."

Men and women in armor hurried to obey, forming lines along the streets. The polished insignia of the Kingdom flashed beneath torchlight as the garrison scrambled to their positions.

Still, the rumbling grew heavier and louder. The earth itself seemed to groan, like something massive was stirring beneath it.

The captain turned sharply. "Ferran!" he barked, pointing at a lean young guard perched on the wall. "Use your Eagle Eye. I want to know exactly what the situation."

"Yes, Captain!" Ferran saluted, pressing two fingers to his temple as his pupils dilated unnaturally. His sight stretched across the vast darkness, soaring beyond the trees. For a moment, his breath caught in his throat. His body trembled.

"Well? Report!" the captain snapped.

Ferran's voice broke, terror bleeding through every word. "C-Captain… it's not just one… It's… it's…" He staggered back, his face drained of blood. "A beast tide. Gods help us—it's a beast tide!"

Gasps erupted along the wall. One guard swore loudly. Another dropped his spear, his hands shaking uncontrollably.

The captain's eyes widened for the briefest moment before he crushed his fear and roared louder than the quake itself:

"Sound the horns! Rally every man capable of holding steel! We stand until the last!"