"Welcome to Burkin," Malamo stated, "The Moving Kingdom of Peace."
"Is it a Kingdom of Peace because all the people here don’t fight or is it a Kingdom of Peace because the Kingdom itself can literally step on you?" Menelik asked Malamo, who replied with nothing more than a concerned expression, prompting Menelik. "What? I just thought I’d ask where it got its name, start figuring out the lore and whatnot." He gestured over to Idris and Taharqa. "I’m learning so much about my so-called best friends here; I thought I’d start just getting info dumped everywhere I go." He turned his attention fully to the two of them. "Don’t wanna miss anything, you know?"
Idris rolled his eyes and took in a deep breath, letting it out into a sigh as he spoke. "Will you shut the fuck up, please? It’s always something, this or that, anything that takes the spotlight off you for a fraction of a second. I don’t care about Taharqa’s backstory as much as I don’t care about my own. I’m looking toward the future, and the future right now is a fuck ton of walking and no mana. If we can keep the bullshit sob stories for another time and the attention-eating fuckery to a minimum, I’m gonna see where this Kingdom of Peace is going and if we can get them to go North." Idris looked at the group, stopping on Malamo. "Unless you got something you need to tell me after all that shushing earlier."
"Idris bro, what’s wr–."
"NO." Idris cut off Menelik. "Don’t BRO ME. It has been one thing after another since we ran into Zero and Maeve, but more importantly, it’s always something with this group. We all try to do our own thing while also calling ourselves a team. That back there against The Old King, that was one of the first fucking times we ever listened and formed up a plan that we kept to, and that’s only because no matter what, we were getting our shit kicked in. It’s ridiculous. We are talented, each and every one of us, but for fuck’s sake, Menelik. We are going to run into people who are more skilled than us in other ways, or just all around stronger and better than us, and that’s okay. It’s fucking okay. You always go around bumping your head against other egos, and no matter how much those other egos prove themselves or show their worth, you still can’t handle it and will do anything in your power to make it seem you are either better or still on their level. You’ll come up with any excuse you can, and because of that, you are never giving it your all. You can’t accept your limitations, and I can tell you are still brooding about Zero, Oduduwa, even the Frost Giants who kicked our ass. Let alone The Old King. I’m sure right now you have a dozen excuses as to why The Old King didn’t actually best us. Hmm?" Idris didn’t let him speak before continuing. "I get it. I really do, the trauma, all of it. I even let it get this far. I should have never, because I can see it rubbing off on myself too. How long has it been since the four of us were beaten? And now look at us, Oduduwa is dead, we got the shit kicked out of us every step of this island, even back on Sidra. The Vampires were beating the shit out of us then too, and do you know who was also getting the shit kicked out of them and didn’t say a fucking word about it? Zero. He was fucking laughing about it. He laughed and got back up and tried again. He fought a Higher, a fucking Higher, on numerous occasions at that, and—."
"And he’s dead," Menelik interrupted. "He died fighting the Higher, he died, that’s the difference between us, one’s still alive."
"He still killed her," Taharqa added.
"Exactly," Idris responded. "Also, let’s not skirt around the fact that dying was actually a part of his plan to make up for something he didn’t even cause. Maeve is the one who killed Oduduwa, and yet he still stands up for her and died to ensure her mistake can be fixed. Sit on that for a moment." He looked directly at Taharqa. "That goes for both of you, actually."
"Why me too?" Taharqa asked, his face visibly confused.
"Because while you ain’t thinking no one can be better than you, you always just pick the side that will give you more attention for siding with them afterwards. So spin your ass around and start thinking about yourselves while I go see who's in charge around here."
Idris went to step onto the bridge in front of them but stopped and turned around to say one last thing. "We have a job to do, that’s why we’re here, so we can either start working together when I get back and get it done, or I can finish the job myself." With those final words, he began walking across the bridge, leaving the group alone with his outbusrt.
"Before you say anything, Taharqa," Menelik said with a raised hand, "He’s right."
This took Taharqa by surprise, and he was about to try and speak again, but Menelik continued.
"I am too worried about what others think of me instead of just improving myself," Menelik admitted. He looked at Malamo and Lelo. "Go catch up with Idris, make sure he doesn’t get himself into any trouble; he gets punchy when he’s heated."
They both hesitated for a moment, looking to Taharqa for confirmation. After a simple nod from him, the two of them left, giving chase after Idris, disappearing across the bridge and into the district.
"Seriously though," Menelik continued, "I do have an ego, and as Idris pointed out, it’s unhealthy. It’s causing me to lose who I am. I make jokes because I’m nervous. It’s been a long time coming and I’m really surprised Idris lasted that long. That was about seven or eight years of pent up anger and I deserved every bit of it. Now might not have been the time, but it wasn’t out of line. I am always worried that people are judging my weak points and never looking at my strengths; I overcompensate for it. "
"You’re a dick about it," Taharqa added.
Menelik nodded at him with a smirk. "I am a dick about it, yes." He looked out at the bustling Kingdom. "Maybe it’s time for a change."
There was a lingering silence, one that Taharqa did not break. He had nothing to add to what happened; all he could do was smile. This kind of thing happened from time to time, not to that extent, and just like Menelik, Taharqa too was surprised Idris had lasted this long without going off like that. All the things he was tired of dealing with, all coming to the surface – who could blame him? He was in a place that he and his own family deemed as a place of dishonor, and dishonor was a fate worse than death for a Gargoyle.
There wasn’t another word spoken between them as they began to cross the bridge. Both remained silent until they reached the other side, where the buildings and web of ladders and bridges started to grow exponentially.
"He said he was going after who was in charge; maybe we should—."
"No," Menelik interrupted. He turned toward Taharqa and closed his eyes with a sigh. "I’m sorry, but I’m not going to find Idris. I’m going to find someone who can get our Mana Channels unblocked."
Menelik led Taharqa through the Kingdom, unsure of their destination but relying on inquiries to guide their path. Faces registered confusion, fingers pointed in various directions, yet no one held the solution to breaking the Old King's curse or had even heard of him. Until, that is, they encountered one who shared their plight—a Frost Giant named Kazuka. His stature, though much smaller than most of his kin, still commanded attention with ice-blue skin adorned by vivid red tattoos. Long white hair fell in braids down his back, and a peculiar metal cylinder adorned his Yeti fur trousers.
"Name's Kazuka," the Frost Giant announced, enfolding Menelik in a crushing embrace that showcased his formidable strength. Releasing him, Kazuka's demeanor softened, revealing a toothy grin. "Looking to break the Old King's curse, are ya eh?"
Menelik affirmed, "We are."
"We?" Kazuka glanced past Menelik, noting the absence of Taharqa. "You got more friends somewhere?"
Menelik's heart plummeted as he realized Taharqa was missing, his gaze sweeping the area until he spotted Malamo and Lelo rushing towards him from across a bridge.
"Give me a moment," Menelik requested, struggling to compose himself before addressing Kazuka.
As Malamo and Lelo approached, their words tumbled over each other in a frantic blur until Menelik's commanding voice cut through the chaos.
"ONE AT A TIME!" he bellowed, bringing an abrupt halt to their chatter.
Malamo and Lelo fell silent, awaiting Menelik's direction. Malamo then revealed, "It's Idris, sir. He's been kidnapped."
"The fuck you mean, kidnapped?" Menelik's voice dripped with incredulity. "The, the, the what?"
"It's true, sir," Lelo confirmed. "Idris has been taken by Dark Elves. We couldn't stop them."
Observing their apparent lack of injuries, Menelik raised an eyebrow. "You both seem awfully unharmed for lads who supposedly tried to stop a kidnapping." His suspicion turned to Kazuka, who had positioned himself for a better view of the exchange. "I assume Taharqa was taken by the same lot."
Lelo's sudden attempt to grasp Menelik was abruptly thwarted, his hand severed in a swift motion. As he crumpled in agony, Malamo met a similar fate, his head rolling off the bridge. Turning to Kazuka, Menelik found him holding the metal cylinder, a silent but potent threat.
"Sorry 'bout your hand. Was aiming for your head like your buddies there," Kazuka remarked casually. "Now, who'd you guys kidnap this time?"
Lelo, in a state of shock and pain, managed to stammer, "The Princes of Nazzaroth…..Hail Dohon."
Kazuka's reaction was immediate, seizing Menelik in a tight embrace before leaping off the platform. As Lelo's body erupted in a burst of magic, the force propelled them downward, crashing into the living quarters around the Frost Giant’s waist.
Menelik struggled for words, his thoughts in disarray.
Kazuka filled the silence.
"Well, good news and bad news. Good news is, the Princes of Nazzaroth are home, so the King Trials can finally begin," Kazuka stated, gesturing towards the third district where smoke lingered from the explosion. "The bad news is Dohon has them, and his version of the trial is a bit twisted."
"What's his version?" Menelik inquired.
"He kills them both and finally claims Nazzaroth for himself."
"Welcome to Burkin," Malamo stated, "The Moving Kingdom of Peace."
"Is it a Kingdom of Peace because all the people here don’t fight or is it a Kingdom of Peace because the Kingdom itself can literally step on you?" Menelik asked Malamo, who replied with nothing more than a concerned expression, prompting Menelik. "What? I just thought I’d ask where it got its name, start figuring out the lore and whatnot." He gestured over to Idris and Taharqa. "I’m learning so much about my so-called best friends here; I thought I’d start just getting info dumped everywhere I go." He turned his attention fully to the two of them. "Don’t wanna miss anything, you know?"
Idris rolled his eyes and took in a deep breath, letting it out into a sigh as he spoke. "Will you shut the fuck up, please? It’s always something, this or that, anything that takes the spotlight off you for a fraction of a second. I don’t care about Taharqa’s backstory as much as I don’t care about my own. I’m looking toward the future, and the future right now is a fuck ton of walking and no mana. If we can keep the bullshit sob stories for another time and the attention-eating fuckery to a minimum, I’m gonna see where this Kingdom of Peace is going and if we can get them to go North." Idris looked at the group, stopping on Malamo. "Unless you got something you need to tell me after all that shushing earlier."
"Idris bro, what’s wr–."
"NO." Idris cut off Menelik. "Don’t BRO ME. It has been one thing after another since we ran into Zero and Maeve, but more importantly, it’s always something with this group. We all try to do our own thing while also calling ourselves a team. That back there against The Old King, that was one of the first fucking times we ever listened and formed up a plan that we kept to, and that’s only because no matter what, we were getting our shit kicked in. It’s ridiculous. We are talented, each and every one of us, but for fuck’s sake, Menelik. We are going to run into people who are more skilled than us in other ways, or just all around stronger and better than us, and that’s okay. It’s fucking okay. You always go around bumping your head against other egos, and no matter how much those other egos prove themselves or show their worth, you still can’t handle it and will do anything in your power to make it seem you are either better or still on their level. You’ll come up with any excuse you can, and because of that, you are never giving it your all. You can’t accept your limitations, and I can tell you are still brooding about Zero, Oduduwa, even the Frost Giants who kicked our ass. Let alone The Old King. I’m sure right now you have a dozen excuses as to why The Old King didn’t actually best us. Hmm?" Idris didn’t let him speak before continuing. "I get it. I really do, the trauma, all of it. I even let it get this far. I should have never, because I can see it rubbing off on myself too. How long has it been since the four of us were beaten? And now look at us, Oduduwa is dead, we got the shit kicked out of us every step of this island, even back on Sidra. The Vampires were beating the shit out of us then too, and do you know who was also getting the shit kicked out of them and didn’t say a fucking word about it? Zero. He was fucking laughing about it. He laughed and got back up and tried again. He fought a Higher, a fucking Higher, on numerous occasions at that, and—."
"And he’s dead," Menelik interrupted. "He died fighting the Higher, he died, that’s the difference between us, one’s still alive."
"He still killed her," Taharqa added.
"Exactly," Idris responded. "Also, let’s not skirt around the fact that dying was actually a part of his plan to make up for something he didn’t even cause. Maeve is the one who killed Oduduwa, and yet he still stands up for her and died to ensure her mistake can be fixed. Sit on that for a moment." He looked directly at Taharqa. "That goes for both of you, actually."
"Why me too?" Taharqa asked, his face visibly confused.
"Because while you ain’t thinking no one can be better than you, you always just pick the side that will give you more attention for siding with them afterwards. So spin your ass around and start thinking about yourselves while I go see who's in charge around here."
Idris went to step onto the bridge in front of them but stopped and turned around to say one last thing. "We have a job to do, that’s why we’re here, so we can either start working together when I get back and get it done, or I can finish the job myself." With those final words, he began walking across the bridge, leaving the group alone with his outbusrt.
"Before you say anything, Taharqa," Menelik said with a raised hand, "He’s right."
This took Taharqa by surprise, and he was about to try and speak again, but Menelik continued.
"I am too worried about what others think of me instead of just improving myself," Menelik admitted. He looked at Malamo and Lelo. "Go catch up with Idris, make sure he doesn’t get himself into any trouble; he gets punchy when he’s heated."
They both hesitated for a moment, looking to Taharqa for confirmation. After a simple nod from him, the two of them left, giving chase after Idris, disappearing across the bridge and into the district.
"Seriously though," Menelik continued, "I do have an ego, and as Idris pointed out, it’s unhealthy. It’s causing me to lose who I am. I make jokes because I’m nervous. It’s been a long time coming and I’m really surprised Idris lasted that long. That was about seven or eight years of pent up anger and I deserved every bit of it. Now might not have been the time, but it wasn’t out of line. I am always worried that people are judging my weak points and never looking at my strengths; I overcompensate for it. "
"You’re a dick about it," Taharqa added.
Menelik nodded at him with a smirk. "I am a dick about it, yes." He looked out at the bustling Kingdom. "Maybe it’s time for a change."
There was a lingering silence, one that Taharqa did not break. He had nothing to add to what happened; all he could do was smile. This kind of thing happened from time to time, not to that extent, and just like Menelik, Taharqa too was surprised Idris had lasted this long without going off like that. All the things he was tired of dealing with, all coming to the surface – who could blame him? He was in a place that he and his own family deemed as a place of dishonor, and dishonor was a fate worse than death for a Gargoyle.
There wasn’t another word spoken between them as they began to cross the bridge. Both remained silent until they reached the other side, where the buildings and web of ladders and bridges started to grow exponentially.
"He said he was going after who was in charge; maybe we should—."
"No," Menelik interrupted. He turned toward Taharqa and closed his eyes with a sigh. "I’m sorry, but I’m not going to find Idris. I’m going to find someone who can get our Mana Channels unblocked."
Menelik led Taharqa through the Kingdom, unsure of their destination but relying on inquiries to guide their path. Faces registered confusion, fingers pointed in various directions, yet no one held the solution to breaking the Old King's curse or had even heard of him. Until, that is, they encountered one who shared their plight—a Frost Giant named Kazuka. His stature, though much smaller than most of his kin, still commanded attention with ice-blue skin adorned by vivid red tattoos. Long white hair fell in braids down his back, and a peculiar metal cylinder adorned his Yeti fur trousers.
"Name's Kazuka," the Frost Giant announced, enfolding Menelik in a crushing embrace that showcased his formidable strength. Releasing him, Kazuka's demeanor softened, revealing a toothy grin. "Looking to break the Old King's curse, are ya eh?"
Menelik affirmed, "We are."
"We?" Kazuka glanced past Menelik, noting the absence of Taharqa. "You got more friends somewhere?"
Menelik's heart plummeted as he realized Taharqa was missing, his gaze sweeping the area until he spotted Malamo and Lelo rushing towards him from across a bridge.
"Give me a moment," Menelik requested, struggling to compose himself before addressing Kazuka.
As Malamo and Lelo approached, their words tumbled over each other in a frantic blur until Menelik's commanding voice cut through the chaos.
"ONE AT A TIME!" he bellowed, bringing an abrupt halt to their chatter.
Malamo and Lelo fell silent, awaiting Menelik's direction. Malamo then revealed, "It's Idris, sir. He's been kidnapped."
"The fuck you mean, kidnapped?" Menelik's voice dripped with incredulity. "The, the, the what?"
"It's true, sir," Lelo confirmed. "Idris has been taken by Dark Elves. We couldn't stop them."
Observing their apparent lack of injuries, Menelik raised an eyebrow. "You both seem awfully unharmed for lads who supposedly tried to stop a kidnapping." His suspicion turned to Kazuka, who had positioned himself for a better view of the exchange. "I assume Taharqa was taken by the same lot."
Lelo's sudden attempt to grasp Menelik was abruptly thwarted, his hand severed in a swift motion. As he crumpled in agony, Malamo met a similar fate, his head rolling off the bridge. Turning to Kazuka, Menelik found him holding the metal cylinder, a silent but potent threat.
"Sorry 'bout your hand. Was aiming for your head like your buddies there," Kazuka remarked casually. "Now, who'd you guys kidnap this time?"
Lelo, in a state of shock and pain, managed to stammer, "The Princes of Nazzaroth…..Hail Dohon."
Kazuka's reaction was immediate, seizing Menelik in a tight embrace before leaping off the platform. As Lelo's body erupted in a burst of magic, the force propelled them downward, crashing into the living quarters around the Frost Giant’s waist.
Menelik struggled for words, his thoughts in disarray.
Kazuka filled the silence.
"Well, good news and bad news. Good news is, the Princes of Nazzaroth are home, so the King Trials can finally begin," Kazuka stated, gesturing towards the third district where smoke lingered from the explosion. "The bad news is Dohon has them, and his version of the trial is a bit twisted."
"What's his version?" Menelik inquired.
"He kills them both and finally claims Nazzaroth for himself."
