As I stood in front of the mirror, admiring the new clothes given to us, I couldn't help but feel grateful for the King's generosity. The clothes were not only fashionable but also practical, made from the finest fabrics from the second kingdom. I knew they would serve us well on our journey, as they were lightweight and sturdy.
As I made my way to the entrance of the palace, I saw my friends already waiting for me, donning their new attire. It was evident that the new clothes had uplifted their spirits, and we all looked ready for the adventure ahead.
The King mounted his horse, ready to lead the way. He warned us of the perils of traveling at night, and we all agreed to set off immediately. Climbing onto our horses, we rode out of the palace gates, embarking on what was sure to be a long and dangerous journey.
As we rode, Babu couldn't help but express his concern about the cold and lack of food. Lezlie reminded him of his fur, but he insisted on the need for a cardigan. Hiroshi then reminded us that we had a long way to go, and it was up to us to remain focused and determined.
As we continued our journey on horseback, we eventually arrived at the port. To our surprise, we saw several small ships, but also a massive vessel that towered over them. The King gestured towards the colossal ship and announced, "This is your vessel. You will embark on your journey with this ship."
I couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated by its sheer size. "Isn't this ship a little too conspicuous?" I asked.
The King explained, "Other ships can't cross the ocean, and this one will get you to your destination faster and safer."
Babu interjected, "But what about security?"
"Unfortunately, no ship is completely immune to danger. There are many sea creatures in the ocean, some dangerous and some large," the King warned.
Hiroshi was curious, "What if we encounter one of these creatures?"
The King advised us, "If it attacks you, don't fight it. Just try to steer clear of it. They usually appear between the third and fourth Kingdom seas."
I then asked, "What about Leader? Is he coming with us?"
"He said he couldn't join us, as he had important duties to tend to in his village. But he wished you good luck," the King replied.
I was curious about the duration of our voyage. "How long will we be on this ship?" I asked.
"Most likely two weeks, but if there is a storm, the journey could be prolonged," the King informed us.
As we prepared to board the ship, I couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and apprehension for the journey ahead.
As we reached the harbor, we dismounted our horses and made our way towards the ship. A long ladder was lowered from the ship's deck to the ground, allowing us to board. Just as we were bidding farewell to the King, a loud trumpet sound echoed through the air, catching our attention.
As we turned towards the direction of the noise, our eyes fell upon a group of about forty strange creatures. These were the same creatures that fought alongside the First Epic. Suddenly, a man stepped forward from among them and began to speak.
"Who do you think you are?" he demanded, his voice heavy with anger. "Killing the first epic! You'll be punished for this, just like your friend!"
The creatures then threw a battered and bloodied man in front of us, and we gasped as we realized it was the leader of Naiton himself. He was barely breathing and looked like he was on the brink of death.
Without hesitation, the King rushed to the man's side, demanding to know what had happened. The leader of Naiton explained how he had been held hostage and bullied into cooperating with the enemy. The King, in his rage, turned to Babu and ordered him to help the injured leader.
While Babu rushed to Leader's side, the King prepared to attack the creatures in revenge. Hiroshi quickly turned to Lezlie, instructing her to protect the Panda and the old man from harm.
Then the King turned to me and spoke with urgency, "Kid, you need to take care of the others with me. I'll fight from behind and try to help you as much as I can."
As we braced ourselves for the impending battle, we knew that our journey was about to take a dangerous turn, and we had to be ready to face any challenge that lay ahead. But we are all outraged and quite surprised by this situation.
As we descended from the ship, we were ambushed by a group of fierce creatures who fought alongside the First Epic. Despite their knowledge of our strength, they attacked us with a small number of soldiers, which seemed strange. The King was furious, delivering merciless strikes that left the monsters covered in blood. I quickly caught up with him, fighting alongside him as we effortlessly defeated the creatures.
But the battle took a strange turn when the King shouted a warning: "Don't touch his hands!" I didn't understand what he meant until one of the creatures lunged at me with his hand. I couldn't block or evade it, but Hiroshi came to my rescue, shooting the monster's hand and saving me from harm. From that point on, I had to fight without touching the creatures' hands.
As if that wasn't enough, two giants entered the fray, their towering figures striking fear in my heart. One of them swung his bat at me, but I managed to dodge it by leaping high into the air. However, something was off about the bat, as it was covered in slime. As I was about to strike the giant's head, he blocked my attack with his bat, but his weapon was set ablaze by the man beside him, who fired a burning arrow at it.
The creature roared in pain and started approaching me with his flaming weapon. As I was trying to figure out a plan to defeat him, I had to dodge the flames thrown by the normal soldiers. Suddenly, I heard the sound of the ship's cannon being loaded. I did a somersault, and at that moment, a massive bullet shot under me, hitting the giant's eye and stunning him. I took advantage of the opportunity to strike his stomach with my elbow, knocking him out.
When I turned around, I saw that the King had taken down everyone else, including the other giant. The only one left standing was the soldier who was giving a speech. He wore a sinister smile, and his words sent a chill down my spine: "It's pathetic, you think we didn't win, but you're wrong. Your death and the death of your friends will happen."
The tension in the air was palpable as the commander of the enemy forces spoke his ominous words to the King. "And you, you will die with your people. It's all exactly as we planned," he said with a sneer.
The King's response was quick and sharp, "You're the one who is gonna do this?"
The enemy simply replied, "Not me, but others will kill you in pain. You will see the price of defiance."
Without hesitation, I stepped forward and bravely declared, "We are not scared of death. Neither people like you."
The enemy's response was chilling, "But you should be."
His words were filled with enough malice and menace to make even the bravest of warriors shudder. I was not one to back down, though, and so I punched him with all my might, knocking him out cold.
As we made our way back to the others, the King immediately checked on Leader's condition. Though he was not bleeding internally, the Leader of the Naiton lineage still required medical attention, and the King ordered him to be taken to the infirmary.
The King then turned to me and said, "Get on the ship with your comrades and get out of here."
I was taken aback and protested, "Are we going to leave you like this?"
But the King reassured me, "Don't worry about me. All my soldiers will be here soon, Meanwhile, I'll make sure the leader's okay."
I couldn't help but voice my concerns, "Sir, are you sure about this? He said 'As planned.' That must mean something. They might attack again soon."
The King's response was calm and measured, "Their goal may be to keep us here as long as possible, and if that happens, we'll be in a lot of trouble. So get on board and make your way. Here you go."
I nodded reluctantly and said, "Yes, Sir." As I made my way to the ship, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. What was the enemy's plan, and what would be the cost of our defiance? Only time would tell.