13 The Dragon Kingdom

(A/N: If you haven't already, drop a review with feedback. As long as it isn't a 1-star review complaining about Citrinitas looking like a generic anime boy (legit a review I got but deleted because it was stupid) I will gladly implement your feedback over new chapters. Just like you're here to read a decent fanfic, I'm here to create an entertaining story and improve my storytelling)

[Timeskip - 3 Day]

[Narrators POV]

The Dragon Kingdom. A relatively small country with an interesting history. Founded after the fall of the Evil Deities 200 years ago by Brightness Dragon Lord, it borders the Katze Plains, the Baharuth Empire, the Theocracy and the Beastmen Nation.

One would expect the country, having been founded by a Dragon Lord, would be a powerhouse due to the access to Wild Magic. While it is true that their Queen, Draudillion Oriculus does have Dragon Lord blood in her. Thus, making her able to use the lost art. The Wild Magic she can perform is so diluted it is almost useless. Each spell is inefficient and less viable compared to Tier Magic.

It doesn't help that their geography is poor either. Being situated near the edges of the human realm, they're constantly fighting the Beastmen Nation. A nation that sees humans as nothing but either food or walking fleshlights. If it weren't for the interference of the Empire or the Theocracy, the country would have ceased decades ago.

Both countries provide military aid to the Dragon Kingdom to keep the Beastmen at bay from outright destroying the kingdom entirely. Though, this relationship isn't out of friendliness or charity. Rather, the Dragon Kingdom's existence is the only thing keeping the massive Beastmen hordes from attacking and destroying the human nations west of the supercontinent.

The Beastmen themselves don't bother with full-scale invasions either. While they could take over the Dragon Kingdom in one fell swoop, they choose to be patient. They see the Dragon Kingdom as a replenishing source of food. Appearing once every few years, attacking a small village or city before retreating.

With the constant skirmishes over the decades, the Dragon Kingdom has always faltered between somewhat peaceful stability to being on the brink of collapse. The Beastmen Nation have already captured three major cities of the Dragon Kingdom. Holding numerous flesh banquets where they gorge on humans. Both alive and dead.

So, the nation and its inhabitants have been living in constant fear. The looming threat of being eaten alive by Beastmen at any moment has made the country enter a depressed state. It's only a matter of time before the Dragon Kingdom falls to the clutches of the Demi-Humans. Though, all that was going to change with the appearance of three wandering adventurers.

[Scene Change]

Fire, explosions, screaming. Those were the things a young boy, no older than 8, witnessed. The boy's name was Daryl. A usually cheerful and bright boy that could make even the most grumpy of men smirk. He was the illegitimate son of a relatively powerful noble. Even though he was a smart child, to preserve his father's status, he and his mother had to be moved to the outskirts of the Kingdom.

The area itself was relatively peaceful. A small village that was surrounded by a forest with a path to the nearest city which was around a 30-minute jog away. As far as records show, the village where Daryl and his kind mother lived was safe. No Beastmen have attacked the place in decades compared to other populated areas of the nation.

Sadly, peace never lasts. Out of the blue, a horde of Beastmen swarmed the unsuspecting people of the village. Daryl could still hear the desperate words echoed by his mother. "GO, DARYL! RUN WHILE YOU STILL CAN!" She screamed, before being dragged away by the claws of Beastmen. Waiting for her turn to get eaten, not before being used as a living fleshlight by the invaders.

Daryl had a huge influx of emotions run over him. Confusion, anger, grief and sadness to name a few. But, he put all those emotions aside and ran as fast as his little legs could and listened to the dying words of his mother. Specifically, along the dirt path that leads to the nearest city.

It felt like an eternity passed as Daryl kept running away from the small village. Though it was most likely only a few minutes at most. The little town got to a point where you couldn't see it from how far Daryl had run. Even so, Daryl kept on running.

It got to the point where Daryl's stomach felt like it was being stitched from the constant running. Not having any water with him and having so much stamina for his age were also factors. 'I … I need to rest. I'm … too tired …' The young boy thought, collapsing on the dirt ground.

Those thoughts were disrupted when Daryl heard something walk toward him beyond his vision. It definitely wasn't human. The thuds that the person made were too loud and heavy for a human to make. The growling and foul stench only cemented that idea further.

"Ahhhh," The voice was rough and animalistic in nature. A voice that when Daryl heard, made all his hairs jump in fear. Even though he had no energy left in him from the running, the fear from adrenaline made him jump to his feet.

The Beastman himself was that of a tiger. Standing at a menacing 8 feet in height, he wore only cloth around his waist. Leaving the rest of his body exposed. His muscles were compact and huge as if the entire Beastman's body was only made from muscle. Such a sight would put any bodybuilder to shame.

"You made quite the distance from running, huh little human?" The Tiger Beastman said. His tone was filled with mockery as if taunting Daryl about how little a distance he ran. "Y-y-y-y-you …" Daryl trailed off. His pants started to moisten as a golden liquid trailed down his leg

"I must admit, your mother was amazing." The Tiger continued, watching the tears roll down Daryl's eyes. "The fear in her eyes when I ripped those clothes off her. The screams and blood when I violated her. Too bad she died only a minute after I started." The Tiger said with sadness. Though that sadness the Tiger had was fake.

"M-monster … YOU M-MONSTER!" Daryl shouted with a fit of untamed anger. But, to the Tiger Beastman, such anger was amusing. "Hehehe … HAHAHAHA!" The Beastman roared. "Oh, the CONFIDENCE! You humans truly amaze me. No matter how much we Beastmen attack, you resist with this … shield of confidence you surround yourself with." The Tiger Beastman said.

"Though," The Tiger Beastman paused slightly. "I will enjoy breaking that shield of yours and watching you fall into despair." he said. "You … you'll pay … YOU'LL PAY, MONSTER!" Daryl shouted with spite and fury. "Pay? Me? Who's gonna make me pay? Those Gods you worship? Maybe those soldiers my men have already eaten? No, no, no. Nobody is going to save you …"

The Beastman took a step closer to the still Daryl. His step made a small 'thud' sound. Imprinting his paw onto the ground from his sheer weight. Daryl's confidence ceased immediately. Though he hated to admit it. The Beastman was right, there was nobody that could help him.

The Tiger Beastman, seeing the wobbly legs of the child, gave a wicked grin of satisfaction. "Ahh, there it is. The moment of realization." He exclaimed. "How does it feel? Tragic? Sad? Like the world is crashing down around you?" He asked, waving his hands in the air, taunting Daryl.

There was nothing Daryl could do. Beastmen are naturally superior compared to Humans when it comes to physical biology. Sure, Daryl could run for a few seconds but the Beastman would catch up in an instant. He had no way of defending himself. Even if he did, it would have done nothing against the Tiger in front of him. Daryl could have only prayed for some miracle.

'Please … please … anyone … save me …' He said in his head. Over and over and over again, like a mantra. The Beastman stepped closer, enjoying the suffering of the little boy every second. Closer and closer and closer until the Beastman was right in front of the child, towering over him.

The oozing drool that came from the Tiger's mouth dripped on Daryl's head. Though the colour of the saliva wasn't its typical translucent colour. Instead, it was tinted with a red colour. As if he had been chewing on something earlier, such as blood.

With ease, the Tiger Beastman picked up Daryl with his hands, elevating Daryl to his own level. "Those tears, they look … delicious." He said, licking his lips. "Huh, you look just like your mother from earlier. I'll never forget the sheer terror on her face the moment I said I'll be hunting you. I'll admit, I've never quite seen anything like that in my decades of life." He said in a low growl.

Daryl could do nothing but cry and uselessly thrash around with the hope of some miracle. "Let go of me! LET ME GO MONSTER! HOW DARE YOU KILL MY MOTHER LIKE THAT! WHAT DID SHE EVER DO TO YOU?!" He shouted, blinded by rage.

The Tiger seemed to chuckle before bringing the boy closer to his mouth. Daryl, seeing the inevitable coming, closed his eyes and thought about happy memories. The time's when he and his mother sang songs together. Or how he played 'tag' with the other village kids. A game introduced to humanity by the Great Gods.

Daryl expected some sort of pain. Possibly a pain where his arm would be or a sort of dizziness. However, that never came to be. In fact, the tight grip from the Beastman that was about to eat him loosened, making him fall butt-first to the ground.

Confused, Daryl slowly opened his eyes only to be met with a strange sight. The Tiger Beastman that was about to eat him was … foaming in the mouth? But, how was that possible? Just a moment ago, the Beastman was perfectly fine and about to eat him.

Daryl had no time to think as the Beastman started to spasm frantically. His arms and legs gave in on themselves, knocking the mighty tiger to the dirt floor. Grumbles and whimpers could be faintly heard if close enough but quickly stopped.

"W-what?" Daryl said with shock and awe. Did the Great Gods spare him? Had a miracle fallen upon himself? But what had a humble boy, the illegitimate son of a noble, do to deserve a second chance? Daryl had no time to think as he looked around, trying to spot any clues as to what happened.

And then, he saw them. From the forest came three beings. From appearance, Daryl could only assume that the one at the front was their leader while the two behind them were his companions. The leader was a male. There was no denying that. However, his outfit was out of the ordinary. Something Daryl had never seen in the storybooks read to him by his mother.

Daryl could only compare it to a suit of armour. The man wore an all-white set of armour that plated the most vital of areas such as the helmet, chest piece, gauntlets and legs. In places that weren't covered by the protective metal was an unknown fabric-like material. There were also trims of blue on the man's outfit for details.

The woman on his left wore a mixture of dark and grey tones. Though, there was no visible armour. When Daryl saw her, he could only think of the word 'gothic princess.' The shades of black and white contrasted, yet complimented her blonde hair. Oddly enough, the woman was half the height of the male. Furthermore, the lady also had a black tophat, umbrella and blindfold.

If the woman on the left could be described as a 'gothic princess,' the woman on the right could only be described as a 'cold beauty.' The lady's white hair and skin reminded Daryl about the snow on the mountains and the stories of Frost Dragons. Even though she was around 50 metres away, Daryl could feel the chill on his skin just by looking at her.

The thrashing Beastman had long since stopped moving as the unknown trio moved closer toward the boy. Of course, Daryl, even though thankful, still had plenty of unanswered questions.

'Who are these people? How could someone just kill a Beastman? Let alone a Tiger Beastman from that far away? Are they messengers from God? Powerful adventurers or mercenaries?' Daryl thought. His childish, yet mature mind raced for possible solutions. Yet, couldn't find any.

"Huh, to think such a Beastman would be so weak." Muttered the man in the metal mask. "Hmph," The princess huffed, crossing her arms. "It is to be expected. Humans are we-" She was cut off from speaking when the leader put a hand on her shoulder, slightly tightening his grasp.

"The average human isn't suited for combat against Beastmen." The princess corrected herself, recognizing her error. "W-w-who … are y-y-you … people?" Daryl couldn't help but ask. "Ahh, where are my manners?" Exclaimed the metal masked man.

"My name is Ordan Karris. The lady to my left is Báthory while the one to my right is Elsa." The person, now known as Ordan Karris, stated in a calming tone. "We're adventurers from the far east that left our country to explore the world." Ordan continued.

"But, isn't the east where humans are considered food? There are only monsters the further east you go." Daryl stated. 'Adventurers from the east? Is that even possible? There are no books about a human nation that far away. At least that's what is said from the books my father gave me.' Daryl thought.

"Our country had an isolationist mindset and didn't open up to the rest of the world. After the era of the Greed Kings, our country realized that the outside was dangerous. So, they kept to themselves for the most part." Elsa replied.

Believing the words of the ice beauty, Daryl nodded. "Tell me, why was that Beastman chasing you?" Báthory questioned, twirling her umbrella in the air. "H-he … he wanted to eat … me." Daryl said, sobbing after every couple of words, remembering the death of his mother. "So Beastmen are the same even this far west, huh?" Ordan muttered to himself.

"Your parents?" He asked. "M-my father is a noble of the D-Dragon Kingdom. However, m-my mother told me that I'm illegitimate. Thus, I had to be sent far away so my dad wouldn't lose his good reputation. As for my mother … she d-died because of that Beastman." Daryl said.

There was a moment of silence before Ordan spoke again. "Are there still Beastmen attacking your little village right now?" He asked, to which Daryl nodded furiously. "I must say, for a child of your age to act so maturely in a situation like this is quite rare. You're handling this well." Ordan noted.

"Anyways, enough idle chit chat. Let's go save whatever bunch of people are alive." Ordan said, giving a glance towards his companions to his left and right. "Remember, make this quick AND make sure you limit yourselves. Understood?" Ordan said in a low yet threatening whisper. Low enough for the small child to not hear him. "Understood, Ci- Ordan Karris." They said, casting [Teleportation] and vanishing in thin air.

As the duo teleported away, Ordan Karris, or Citrinitas, came closer to Daryl, kneeling on the ground. "The nearest city isn't too far. Is that right?" Citrinitas asked. Daryl nodded as a few tears came out of his eyes. "Don't worry about your village. My … companions are very capable humans." Citrinitas reassured the kid.

"That spell which killed the Beastman. What was it?" Daryl asked, curious about what happened moments prior. "Just a 5th tier spell. Nothing too special that warrants any interest. However, the Tiger Beastman did suffer a significant amount of pain before perishing." Somehow, those words made Daryl's mind go at ease. Although only slightly.

'5th tier? This adventurer must be powerful. It is no wonder how he can kill a Tiger Beastman with one spell.' Daryl thought. 'I wonder if he is more powerful than Fluder Paradyne in the Empire. He's well over 200 years old and can only cast 6th tier magic …'

"Earlier, you told me your father was a noble. You think he's willing to take you back in?" Citrinitas questioned. "Well," Daryl seemed to pause, thinking about the situation. "While he does care for me, sending myself and mother to a relatively safe village. I'm … I'm not sure … considering that I'm illegitimate … he might just throw me to the streets." Daryl said with sadness. More tears fell down his cheek as he realized that he had nowhere to go.

'Poor kid. If his father doesn't take him back, he's probably going to have to stay in an orphanage.' Citrinitas concluded. "Don't worry about it, kid. There's a saying from where I come from. Though most likely long forgotten, it still holds some meaning. The saying is 'life finds a way.' You'll figure things out. I won't doubt that." Citrinitas stated, hugging the child close, consoling him.

Daryl took the hug with ease, tightening his grip around the adventurer. "Uhm … Sir Karri-" "Please, just call me Ordan." Citrinitas corrected the boy. "Ordan … do you think … I'll ever be as strong as you? I couldn't defend myself against that Beastman." Daryl said with sadness.

"Well, from what I can tell, you do have the potential to be strong. I mean, look at you now. You're relatively educated and well mannered. With time, I believe you can be strong enough to defend those you love." Citrinitas said, easing the mind of the child more.

'I wonder how Esdeath and Shalltear are doing. They better not be causing any trouble. Though, I doubt that considering their bickering about who's better.' Citrinitas thought, now starting to doubt his actions for sending such unpredictable people to complete the task he assigned them.

[Scene Change]

Báthory and Elsa, or Shalltear and Esdeath teleported to the besieged village. The houses, which were normally standing, were nothing but a pile of rubble. At a glance, one could assume the area was deserted. However, there were still plenty of Beastmen in the area, feasting on the flesh of humans. It was clear by the animalistic laughing and the cries of pain not too far away.

"Hmph. I can't believe that you almost blew darling's cover." Esdeath said, jabbing at Shalltear's mess up. Shalltear only gave a low growl. "Shut up, icy slut. Let's just save these … humans and get back to our beloved." The vampire retorted. "At least we can get to some sort of agreement." Esdeath noted.

The duo walked further, heading towards the Beastmen, who were coincidentally collected together in a group. If any normal person walked in on such a sight, even the most stoic human would have felt woozy.

The collective Beastmen were partaking in heinous actions. Some were pleasuring themselves by violating women. Most of which were on deaths row or already deceased. Others were torturing men in all kinds of ways. Inflicting wound upon wound to being roasted alive by the semi-big makeshift fireplace in the centre.

"Oi, oi, oi. What do we have here?!" Said one of the Beastmen in a gruff voice, catching the attention of his peers. "More women? And by the looks of it, gorgeous ones at tha-" The Beastman was cut off from speaking by a certain ice demon.

"Shut your fucking mouth up. Who gave you the right to speak to me, vermin?!" Esdeath said, clearly angered by the words of the Demi-Human. "Ohhh, feisty. Personally, I like a fuck toy like that. The faces they make when they realize they're out of luck is just amazing!" Another Beastman joined.

Shalltear twirled her umbrella, yawning. "This is so boring. Let's kill these … weakling mutts, Elsa." Shalltear's words only angered the Beastmen as some stood up and growled. "Why … YOU WATCH YO-" The Beastman that spoke out was interrupted by Esdeath raising her hand.

"[Ice Lance]." Esdeath said in a cold tone as a lance made entirely out of ice formed in the air. Just as quickly as it formed, the lance shot at a lightning speed towards the open mouth of the talking Beastman. The Demi-Human had no time to react as the lance entered his mouth, exiting from the other end with relative ease.

The Beastman fell to the floor, motionless due to having a sharp object creating a gaping wound through his skull. The people that were alive were awed by the death of one of the Beastmen. Their eyes filled with hope at the thought of not dying a gruesome death.

"What the FUCK?! WHY ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE?! DO SOMETHING!!!" Shouted the leader of the Beastman group who had animal traits akin to an Ox. While some Beastmen were hesitant, seeing one of their comrades die so quickly, others were more riled up.

"HOW DARE YOU FUCKERS!" Shouted one Beastmen, jumping from where he was towards the duo. Of course, a few more Beastmen followed suit. Shalltear sighed before conjuring up a red and black lance and heading directly towards the Beastmen onslaught.

To anyone that watched, it was a sight to behold. Of course, nobody expected the small woman who wielded a lance to actually win. She was up against powerful Beastmen who could ravage cities. However, that wasn't the case at all.

There wasn't even a climactic battle filled with blood, sweat and tears. With a simple wave of her weapon, Shalltear cut the Demi-Human beasts in half. Their organs and blood spewed everywhere like a bloody fountain, soaking the ground in a dark red.

'What? How … how is that possible?!' Thought the Ox Beastman, startled by how his men were killed with ease. And by unknown humans at that. "What?! HOW?!" He shouted. "It is simple. You're weak." Esdeath said emotionlessly. "Screw this … EVERYONE, KILL THOSE BASTARDS!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, not wanting to be insulted anymore.

All the Beastmen heeded the words of the leader as they gripped their weapons and prepared for battle. Some were excited to fight while others were more cautious. Nonetheless, they each got into a stance to attack.

"ATTACK!" The Beastmen leader shouted. The other Beastmen shouted a warcry at the words. Esdeath and Shalltear were unfazed, taking a more casual stance. "[Maximize Magic: Ice Barrage]." With the chant of a spell, multiple shards of ice formed in the air. And with a wave of her hand, the shards flew at breathtaking speeds towards vital areas of the Beastmen.

The leg joints, the head, and the heart were all hit multiple times as the Beastmen fell one by one. To the remaining human survivors that were clinging to dear life, it wasn't even a fight. Beastmen who were able to attack multiple trained soldiers in battle fell with ease. Their cries of pain were muffled from choking on their own blood.

The prideful leader, who was consumed by rage, gulped. He didn't want to admit it. His Demi-Human pride wouldn't allow him to. But, for the first time in his life, he was scared. 'How? How is this possible?! I … I need to leave!' He concluded, quickly turning back and fleeing.

Sadly, he was immediately stopped when Shalltear appeared right behind him. "Where do you think you're going, mutt?" She asked sweetly. However, that only scared the leader even more. "No … no … no. STAY AWAY FROM ME!!" He shouted.

"Mou. That's too bad. My darling wants this to end quickly. You should be grateful that I of all people am ending your life so quickly. I would have enjoyed breaking that false pride of yours." Shalltear said. The Beastman leader didn't get to reply as his head was decapitated by a simple swing of Shalltear's lance.

"Well, that's taken care of. [Clean]." Shalltear cast a spell that cleaned her lance from the blood of the Demi-Human before walking back to Esdeath. "We're supposed to free the remaining humans, right?" She questioned. "No shit, Sh- Báthory." Esdeath said, correcting herself.

Wanting to get back to their beloved, the duo walked up to any surviving humans. While most were already dead, some were faintly breathing. Shalltear, with the help of her Cleric class, cast a simple healing spell that healed the injuries of those without limbs or serious burns.

"H-huh? I … my hand? T-thank you … kind stranger. M-may I know of your name?" Asked a woman. Her voice filled with gratitude from not only being saved, but from being healed also. An injury like that would have cost thousands of gold which, as a peasant village girl, did not have access to.

"It is nothing. I'm just doing my … job as an adventurer. I'm Báthory." Shalltear said, doing her best to get into character. "W-well, Báthory, please accept my gratitude." The peasant village girl said, bowing her head as tears fell down her cheek. "It's … not a problem." Shalltear muttered.

Esdeath only freed those who were in metal cages or those in bindings, ripping the iron bars like simple sticks of wood. "T-t-t-t-t-thank … y-y-you …" Said a man, sobbing his heart out. "Yea … not a problem …" Esdeath replied back, trying her best to act sincerely for the pathetic mortals.

After freeing the remaining survivors from their bindings, Esdeath and Shalltear returned to where Citrinitas was. Of course, the survivors, seeing that their small village was in ruins, followed the pair. "Ah, Elsa, Báthory, how was the fight?" Citrinitas asked, getting into character. "It was fine, Ordan. The Beastmen were dealt with and the survivors were healed." Esdeath noted.

"Umu. That's good. I see that the remaining survivors are behind you. I guess they're heading to the city considering that their village was destroyed, no?" Citrinitas questioned. "T-that's right, milord. We have nowhere else to go. So, for temporary safety, we're heading to the city to tell the higher-ups about the attack." Replied one of the villagers.

"That's fine by me. We need to head to the city to register in the adventurers guild and collect information about the place." Citrinitas said. "Oh, you can drop the 'milord' part. No need for formalities. Just call me Ordan."

"Very well, Ordan. We cannot stress how much we mean to you and your companions. You saved our lives." Said the villager. The others agreed, nodding in unison. "I appreciate the kind words. However, I believe that it's time to head to the city. We shouldn't stay here too long." Citrinitas replied.

And so, Citrinitas, leading Esdeath, Shalltear and the surviving villagers headed towards the nearest city of the Dragon Kingdom, talking on the way. It didn't take too long to reach the gates of the city. What was interesting was the fortifications. Towering walls of stone with soldiers patrolling on top of them.

'So this is the Dragon Kingdom, huh?' Citrinitas thought. 'It makes sense that there would be some fortifications around cities. Considering that Beastmen attacks could happen at any moment, it is to be expected.' "Hello, guards, we'd like to enter the city of yours."

(A/N: What are your thoughts on the chapter? Love it? Hate it? Please let me know!)