When Xerxez back to his early days, he was an innocent in his world and the harshness of life was still unknown. For him, the constant truth was simply that the world spun on. With each revolution—every passing day, week, and month—a bird's nest would be broken, only to be rebuilt anew. And on every branch, every blade of grass, and every fallen leaf, there were gleaming spheres: perhaps two, or three, or even four? But to Xerxez's young eyes, the more there were, the happier he felt.
Beyond just their number, what truly captivated Xerxez was the vibrancy of their colors: vivid reds, pure whites, deep blues, and a playful mix of speckles. Each one unique in its size and gentle weight. So were smooth to the touch, others delightfully rough. He knew them all, each one perfectly familiar in the cup of his hand.
As Xerxez moved in the earthy breath beneath the verdant canopy, each step muffled by moss-coated earth. Overhead, a chorus of chirping robins, their chests bright white against striking blue feathers, echoed from the high branches of a thick, lustrous oak. His tough leather shoes, made for traversing any obstacle, crunched faintly on fallen leaves, carrying him deeper into the woods. His simple bow, diagonally attached to 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. His life seemingly simple and vibrant. He knew nothing of the world's true dangers; his only concern was finding bird nests.
He know how to hunt a bird's nest, when a faint blue shimr—a robin's nest, hidden high up in an old oak tree. His heart pounded with excitent. This was it! With swift movents, Xerxez began to climb the tree, his feet gripping the rough bark tightly. Branches scratched him and small twigs broke, but he kept climbing. Soon, the forest lay beneath him like a green ocean. When he reached the nest, he carefully peered inside. Three small, perfectly blue eggs lay there.
A wide smile spread across his face, and he whispered a sound of triumph. This was pure happiness, a feeling better than any royal decree. He gathered more, mostly he can snatch flamingoes eggs in the tall grasses from the swamp. Xerxez never knew that his hunting was a small hint of the past.
Long ti ago, the people of Thallerion were famous hunters of demons and monsters. Their lives revolved around fighting evil creatures, dark beasts, and things that ca from the depths. But after the entity Orion disappeared, the monsters multiplied and Thallerion beca too battered. Their old fighting skills were lost, and their fighting spirit faded, often aning certain death for them. Most of the new generation had forgotten this dark past. But Xerxez, especially, knew nothing about it. For him, monsters, magic, and demons were just old stories told by his grandpa.
Thallerion itself was a forgotten land of entities, its na derived from "Said by Orion" but referred to as "Teller of Orion" or Tell'Rion. The ancestors of Thallerion were known for war, hunting, and shrewd tactics. Once, the entity of Orion protected Thallerion. But now, there wasn't even a small sign that he had existed.
What Xerxez are waited the most, when a unique Crane with a blue light feather flared like an Aurora Borealis brightly shining, when it lay eggs, a big nest made of cotton with two golden yellowish eggs that shines like gems in Xerxez' eyes, appeared. If he could snatch one, it will be the most victorious hunting he will be done. But he still not get one, so he waited when it squawk like a sweet lullaby so that he can trace their nest.
As he waded through the knee-deep water, sothing glimred at his feet, encrusted with sand and half-subrged. At first glance, he thought it was silver, but upon closer inspection, he saw jewels embedded in its design. It was a dagger that Xerxez picked up.
"Oh, a dagger," he mused, "I thought it was fish egg" He quickly slipped it into his pocket and continued his vigil, waiting for the bird. He crept even closer to the sound of its chirping. Suddenly, he felt sothing trembling in his pocket.
"What's moving in my pocket? Is it a fish?" He imdiately leaned against a moss-covered tree, reaching into his pocket where his fingers closed around the dagger's hilt.
He stared intently at the dagger, but it was no longer moving like a fish. Then, without warning, a powerful electric shock coursed through him, and Xerxez montarily lost consciousness. In his mind, he heard a man's voice calling out to him.
"Xerxez!" A deep, seemingly gallant male voice with a cold tone.
"Who are you?" Xerxez couldn't see the man, and it was a calm, empty place, but with moderate light.
"You will know in due ti, but you are still young, unaware of the violence outside the palace of Thallerion."
"Oh, I'm a smart kid, I understand easily. So please tell ," Xerxez happily replied.
"Aren't you afraid I might be a monster?" The man's voice grumbled.
"A monster? You really think I'm scared of monsters? My grandpa told I should not afraid of monsters."
"Really?" The man said.
"Yes, but wait a minute, why your voice is like old man, you look like my grandpa voice."
"Hmm, do I sound old?" If Xerxez could see the man, he might have seen him clear his throat, and.
"Yes, you do, but I don't believe you're a monster, your voice is too kind. You don't roar like monsters either?"
"Hehe, I'm not an animal to roar." Even though Xerxez couldn't see the man, he felt like he was secretly laughing.
"Grandpa told when he was alive that we had a Protector, nad Orion... are you Orion?" Xerxez asked. The voice of a man breathed heavily and inhaled with concern.
"You talkative child, go ho now, and don't forget to bring fresh eggs for your parents. And tell them, a calamity is coming to Thallerion."
"What, a... a calamity?"
"It is a Four-legged and ferociously biting. When it steps into Thallerion in the coming days, Thallerion will beco its lair. Hurry before it's too late."
"A four legged...is it a beast? Well, I don't believe there are monsters?" He pout.
"Is that so?"
"Of course!" Xerxez nodded. Then a grumbling chuckled echoed at Xerxez mind. "Hehe.."
Flash!⚡
Suddenly, the flow of his dream swept him from an empty space into a terrifying scene.
"Woah, what was that light?"
The voice quickly vanished, and he saw light violently crashing down from the sky. He saw a wide, glowing shield affixed to the heavens like an ultimate, unbreakable barrier, and a creature trying to destroy it with a machine. Xerxez was too young to understand such a thing, ignorantly watching the face of nightmare.
"Ah, is that a monster?"
Then, he saw a monster, a long-tailed creature breathing fire. That monster was fighting people with magic and powerful weapons; light cleaved the sky. And darkness opened in the center. Suddenly, giant tentacles resembling claws tried to widen the hole in the sky. A celestial face made of thorny evil energy, a halo of dark purple monstrousness, peeked out from it. Its eyes, galaxies of malicious intent, stared at Xerxez.
"No, I have nothing to do with this, the man just brought here." Xerxez felt like peeing himself in fear at the sight of the lashing monster—"Please, no, don't eat !!!"
It lunged, not just grabbing, but enveloping Xerxez in its crushing grip, the air squeezed from his lungs, his bones groaning in protest. He felt himself being pulled towards its mouth, not just swallowed like an egg, but pulverized, created, absorbed into its very essence, his consciousness dissolving into a painful, eternal scream as he beca one with the terrifying creature.
Xerxez woke up in his green bed made of dried leaves and grass. Soaked in sweat, his heart hamred against his ribs like a desperate drumr.
He gasped, "It ate ! Like... like a perfectly poached egg with a side of existential dread!" He scrambled up, still half-convinced he was being swallowed. He ran to the stream and drank water while the monster's face still echoed in his mind. The water was like a mirror before him, and then he carefully examined his reflection.
"Wait a minute," he mumbled, tickling his stomach. "I don't feel like I was eaten by a cosmic horror. I actually feel... a little hungry. You know, for a cosmic horror-sized breakfast. Maybe so eggs, but definitely not poached. Scrambled. Yeah, scrambled would be good. Less chance of triggering terrifying dream mories." He paused, then whispered to his reflection, "Though, I have to admit, that monster had good taste. I'm a delicious person."
"But wait, the man ntioned sothing to , that a Four-legged, perhaps beast's feet will step on Thallerion?" Xerxez wondered what kind of creature that was. He imagined an ox with scary face. So grotesque!
"This dagger, almost pee on my dream."
Xerxez tied it on his hip and imdiately returned ho with a bag full of colorful egg collection—blue, maroon, and speckled—a unique gift for his parents. Despite his youth, he wasn't afraid to venture deeper into the forest, often escaping his personal guards just to collect eggs. To calm his parents' inevitable worries, these precious eggs were his peace offering.
At the palace, Xerxez was at the dinner table with his Royal parents. Xerxez thought he would be scolded, but when the eggs he brought as gifts were served, a steaming bowl full of eggs was placed between them. His king and queen parents, who had initially frowned, suddenly brightened.
"Mmmm, these eggs... where did you get them? They're absolutely delicious!" The Queen didn't just fill her plate; she almost emptied the bowl, her eyes wide with pleasure, almost ecstasy. "Especially this blue one! I've never tasted anything like it!" Crack!
"Next ti you escape your guards, perhaps bring more eggs ho, my son." The King's tone had a hint of teasing, but Xerxez just smiled, watching his parents eat their al.
"My King, don't encourage him!" The Queen's face, however, was transford by pure joy, her words barely audible due to her mouth full of food. "But Xerxez, my son... don't try to escape without our permission. It's dangerous out there."
"That only proves my son is brave; he inherited it from ," the King laughed, rubbing his side where the Queen had elbowed him. "But perhaps his gift-bringing and intelligence he inherited from you, my dear Queen."
"Speaking of daring, do you rember your Grandfather's stories, my dear?" The Queen said, picking up a red egg the size of a quail's. "He always said the forest had eyes watching over the forest when he was young. Different eyes than the birds Xerxez sees now." Crack!
The King nodded, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "Indeed. He swore he once saw the shadow of a terrifying Hawk, though those haven't been seen for generations. He said their feathers were as black as the deepest abyss." He glanced at Xerxez, who was still smiling at the praise for his eggs. "Even for a young prince, a robin's nest is enough adventure."
"Rember, Xerxez, our world is dangerous, even with the palace walls," the Queen added, a slightly serious look returning to her eyes as she finished her red egg. "There are stories... and not all of them are just stories for children."
"Father, soone spoke to , he said that in the coming days, sothing with four feet will step on Thallerion."
"Who said that?" The king asked, wiping his lips, which had soft egg remnants, with a handkerchief.
"What kind of creature is that, with four feet?" Xerxez's mother thought Xerxez was just joking.
"I had a dream, and a man spoke to ." The king imdiately pulled Xerxez's arm.
"Tell , did he introduce himself as Orion?"
"Gently, dear... You'll choke Xerxez." The queen worried.
"No, he didn't tell , he just said a calamity is coming to Thallerion." The king's grip imdiately loosened, and he cald down, deep in thought.
"My king, is it that four legged creature might be an infested soul by entity?" The queen eyes fixed on the king of Thallerion while peeling off eggs shells.
"The question is, is what Xerxez says true? If the man in his dream was not the Protector of Thallerion, why would he give a warning? Couldn't it just be your imagination, son?" The king said. "Is he ntioned a giant?
"Huh, giant?"
"Yes, my Dear son, that an you should stop roaming around in the forest alone. That dream is a hint that your stubbornness is not good , especially for us, we are always worried at you."
Several days passed, but nothing happened, even though the king had prepared his military forces. Nevertheless, Xerxez was back in the mountains, once again disregarding his parents' warnings. He watched the green grass, the birds chirping above like swift cots. He held his found treasure and scrutinized it's relic design, the gems was no value to Xerxez eyes, but if elder people will see it, they will buy it because the gems are made of valuable treasure like the athyst, Topaz, erald, and pearl at the center. He try to shake it to create a spark of electric but nothing's happens.
"Did that man lie? Why there is no sign of danger? It's been three days from now but no one ca, could it be the Four-legged was not actually true, that there is no such Four-legged that will step here on Thallerion?
Speaking of Danger?
From a far, as he wandered on the stream, he heard a beautiful bird squawk, up from the bushes on the stream, its feathers wonderfully pearly with a hint of blue tortoiseshell. It was indeed lustrous blue like a Borealis, its eyes lit a beautiful athyst.
"Aha! The bird finally ca. Whoa, that sounds seems telling there's hidden treasure there. A Crane's nest!" He traced the sound while carefully hiding in the thick bushes. The squawk continue echoing in the forest, it sound beautifully pitching one another. Xerxez saw the graceful glide of their wings from one branch to another. "Almost there!" He giggled in excitent.
Suddenly, a trumpet sound was heard sharply echoing throughout the Thallerion Lands. The birds flew in different directions, and Xerxez found it difficult to trace the nests of those birds. The trumpet was loud, as if a threat was approaching Thallerion.
"Such a bad timing... I'm almost there though.. just a few step, I could almost trace their nest." So, Xerxez took his small pouch full of eggs and went ho.
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