It took them an entire day to return to the city since they weren't in too much of a hurry. The two men were preoccupied with their own thoughts as they rode on their horses, not realizing they were thinking about the same thing: each other.
Only when they reached the residential areas did Hael pay attention to his surroundings. The palace was located in the heart of the capital—Vaales, where everything from residences to markets was located. Orderly rows of houses for the common folk and some for more wealthy commoners lined the streets, with broad streets paving the way for merchants and travelers on chariots or caravans to do their business. Vaales was a hub for trade and marketing, and anyone who wished to make a profit by selling their goods would crowd the area, gaining the attention of pedestrians. Since the roads were so vast, there was plenty of space for those who didn't own their means of transportation to travel on foot, leaving a good amount of space for those traveling on wheels.
Despite it being so early in the morning, the streets were already buzzing with people. Hael was glad Anemone had equipped them with conspicuous clothing to blend in with the crowd and not stand out too much, though they still received a few looks as the horses they were riding on were of good breed. Despite his mind being plagued with uncertainties, the young man still found himself smiling as he watched the little children going to and from the public bathing complexes that were typically located near gymnasiums or other social gathering spots—small temples, courtyards, gardens, and meeting halls. Hael learned from his little lessons from Anthanasia that it was common for people to take their morning baths in public bathing areas since they were accessible to the general public. They were separated into four sections: men and women and hot and cold regions. Bathing complexes were maintained by city authorities or by merchant guilds.
The young man found the idea of bathing in public amongst other people quite strange. He was always used to bathing alone in the forest, where most animals did not require personal upkeep. They were divine animals and didn't need much maintenance, though sometimes they would wash themselves in the Sanatio Lake to cleanse themselves of impurities. The concept of public bathing, despite having heard of it, was a stark contrast to his solitary forest routine. It was a completely different feeling to experience it firsthand or at least witness it.
They were greeted back into the royal district (where the palace was located) by a panicked Anemone, her voice trembling as he kept asking them where they had been.
Ceremus felt a headache as he listened to his advisor's inane mumblings.
"Enough of your nagging Anemone. Send someone to the Aphthonia Forest to fetch what we left behind." He hissed. "Ah, speaking of Aphthonia. I'm making it a rule, effective immediately, that no one is permitted to hunt there from now on." Ceremus then left the confused advisor behind, Hael following suit, the abruptness of the new rule hanging in the air.
After the royal knights went to "fetch" the "thing" the King and his guard had left behind, it was discovered that said "thing" was the corpse of a rare demon-type monster called Kakoethes. Since they were so unusual, their corpses fetched a reasonable price in the exotic markets. The Kakoethes were handed to some well-known merchants who would put them up in an auction. Since this was such a fantastic feat, a banquet was held to celebrate their accomplishment, as well as the monsters and diving beasts that had caused harm to the villages in the country.
The King surprised everyone by inviting the villagers and common folk to the celebratory banquet. The extended invitation shocked everyone, even scaring a few who wondered if this was an excuse for the King to cause trouble again. But despite their fears and doubts, they were still in attendance since it was such a rare occurrence to be able to attend a grand gathering at the palace.
"Is it just me? Or has His Majesty changed a little?" A guest whispered to their friend, a hint of curiosity in their voice.
"Like he's less rigid? Like you don't feel the instinctive fear to run away at the mere sight of him?"
The guest nodded.
"Then I'll have to agree with your statement," they said as they reached for one of the cups of wine being served to them. "The King has changed quite a bit. I wonder what brought on this sudden change."
"Well, whatever it is, I'm all for it. Just a few months ago, we'd all be killed on sight for even daring to go near the palace. Now we're invited inside. It's no short of a miracle." The friend said.
"I'll say. And I hear it's largely due to his personal guard's influence."
The guest's eyes widened. "You mean the ultimate warrior?! Did the goddess send someone down to change him from his ways finally?" They wondered, their surprise evident in their voice.
While the guests enjoyed the festivities around them, things were looking a little bleak in the celestial realms, specifically with a certain god.
Dicaeus, the god of darkness, plague, and destruction, was spending another mundane day on his celestial throne. Since the humans had stopped wagging unnecessary wars and violence across the earthly lands, the god had been spending his days in boredom, not having much to do. Though darkness still existed in the hearts of mortals, it no longer brought out their urges to wreak havoc and destruction wherever they went. Wars still existed, but his power and influence no longer triggered them. His only source of joy and happiness had been stripped away, so he spent his moments wallowing away, only occasionally sending out some of his minions to cause some damage.
As he wondered what kind of chaos he'd ensue for the day, he felt strange in his chest. The feeling was mild at first before it erupted into a deep-bellied pain in his bosoms. He then heard the agonized cries of one of his offspring crying out for his aid.
Fury, anger, malice, and vengeance invaded his thoughts as he felt pain and loss. He could tell right away from the cries resounding in his ears that one of his children had been killed, brutally bludgeoned to death. Dicaeus' pitch-black eyes turned a deep shade of red, and tears of crimson rolled down his white face.
"Who dared to bring harm to my child?!" He sneered as the searing pain in his chest subsided.
Using his bloody tears, he speared the vermilion liquid on his vision stone, and black mist erupted in the room, clouding his eyes. With his vision now impaired, he used his other senses to find the culprit he was looking for. The god had a strong connection to his offspring, even stronger with the kakoethes who were directly linked to him. Fashioned through his images and by his own hands, he put great care into them. He couldn't help but wonder what mortal could even defeat it. A terrifying being able to steal, kill, and destroy anyone in its path, it wasn't a creature who could be defeated so easily.
So who was it? He wondered.
Suddenly, an image appeared in his mind, and he saw two men, one with hair as black as coal and the other with hair as white as snow. They were tall with burly builds resembling the warriors he'd often hear about in the mortal world. But there was something different about them.
Dicaeus frowned as he concentrated on the image a little more. That's when he saw the divine blood coursing through their veins. "Demigods?"
His eyes flared with fury and rage. The only thing that was on his mind was retribution. "You fools with tainted blood will suffer a fate far worse than my kin. Just you wait." He promised.
At that exact moment, Kaleeso, who felt great pride in her creation, realized that trouble awaited this destined couple. The creature they had killed belonged to a robust and vengeful god who would stop at nothing to end their lives. Her pulchritudinous face scrunched with worry as she looked into the glass, the two demigods she had grown to care for and love enjoying the celebration around them.
She knew there was no way they could avoid Dicaeus' wrath on their own. Since she could not directly interfere, she would need to give them some aid indirectly, but to do that, she'd need the help of another god or goddess. Her mind immediately went to the goddess of healing and protection—Aria. Since this matter concerned her son, Kaleeso knew she would come to her aid.
She didn't waste a second as she left her domain, going to Aria.