Hundred Years Earlier;
The village of Agraia sat quietly nestled in a valley of Mt Pindus that was as peaceful as it was remote. The moon hung high in the sky, full and bright, casting its light over everything below.
Inside the shared animal shed of the village, the smell of hay filled the air. The village's livestock—cows, sheep, horses, and donkeys—suddenly became restless, shifting in their stalls as they all woke up from a nightmare.
*Moooo* *Neigh* *Brayy* *Baaa*
Suddenly, a chorus of terrified animal calls shattered the calm atmosphere in the surroundings. Cows bellowed, donkeys brayed, and the sheep collectively screeched in panic. A deep, booming sound echoed through the mountains.
From the edges of the village, villagers rushed from their homes, drawn to the disturbance. The ground rumbled beneath their feet as if there were an earthquake.
Then, as if from nowhere, a shadow passed over the moon in the sky, massive and dark, blocking its light.
"Mother… I don't feel good for some reason…"
"Why did it suddenly become dark?"
"Wha…"
A gasp went up from the villagers as they looked up to see a colossal beast—its scarlet demonic scales glistening in the moonlight—soaring across the sky. And on its back, a figure, hooded and cloaked, rode it like a shadow in the night.
The villagers froze, staring in awe and terror.
"W-who… what is that?" one man whispered, voice trembling.
Before anyone could answer, the dragon's wings beat the air like thunder, sending dust and debris swirling through the village. The cloaked rider pulled on the reins, and with a violent twist of the beast's massive head, it swooped lower.
"A demon"
"Run"
"Run for your lives…"
"Kyaaaa"
The villagers scattered, running for cover, but it was too late.
The beast landed with a mighty crash in the center of village, its claws tearing up the ground, sending rocks and wood flying. The rider leaped off, landing with a soft thud, his hood still obscuring her face.
"Move!" shouted a voice from the back of the beast, a second rider. A white haired, tall man, in dark robes, strode forward, a gleaming staff in his hand. His eyes glowed.
Through his staff, an infinite number of ropes of concentrated energy burst out in all directions, capturing every single villager in his half-kilometer surroundings.
They struggled, but the magic ropes held firm.
"Gather them," the man commanded.
The rider raised her palm, conjuring a giant hand that swept the whole village like a broom, collecting the villagers like specks of dust at one spot. Many were injured, some even ended up dying as a result, but neither of them could care less about their well-being anyway.
Soon, the villagers, tied up, forced to move along, following the white haired wizard, with a giant beast behind them and a giant energy whip in the hands of the rider.
The group reached a narrow bridge that spanned the river, the water rushing beneath it.
However, they were forced to halt their movements as the white-haired wizard stopped moving.
There, on the opposite side, a figure stood tall, blocking their way. His silhouette was dark against the moonlight, and he studied the group with a furrowed brow.
"Erython?" the Wizard murmured to himself, rubbing his chin in ponder. "No… too young. His general, perhaps? Or is that…"
The wizard's eyes narrowed as he regarded the man standing on the bridge. He raised his staff. "I don't know who you are, but if you raise that bow, you will die. Leave," the wizard said coldly. His voice carried a command wrapped in a direct threat.
The young man on the bridge didn't flinch. Instead, he did exactly what the wizard warned him. Without a word, he raised the bow, conjuring an energy arrow between his fingertips.
"Disciple, take care of this sh*t." The wizard sneered, and the beast rider instantly made her move, giving an order to the demonic beast in a strange language. "Tam Hanti (Kill him)"
As soon as she gave the order, the dark-furred beast leaped over the prisoners and the wizard, raising its claws to tear apart the enemy into chunks of meat.
But before it could even land, the arrow was released from the bow. It cut through the air like lightning, whistled through the air, faster than any eye could follow, and struck the beast that tried to swat it away in reflex. The arrow pierced the beast's claw, a clean shot, and then drove deeper, burying itself in its neck.
*Scraaa*
The creature let out a horrible screech, loud enough to make villagers go deaf for a moment. Its claws scraped against the bridge as it staggered. The wizard's face twisted in shock as the beast collapsed to the ground, twitching, before lying still. Soon, its massive form ended up lifeless. As for the rider, she fell into the river but never rose to the surface of the water again.
The young man lowered his bow and glanced at the fallen beast for a couple of seconds, and then shifted his attention briefly to the river surface. Bubbles appeared for a while before disappearing as if the rider had drowned in the river.
The wizard, now seething with fury, shouted in rage.
"You—!" He started to say, but the words caught in his throat as the young man interrupted him. "Don't bother. You are also not getting past me." Keeping his voice steady, he continued. "Earlier, you gave me two choices. Now, I give you two choices. Surrender on your own, or I'll make you surrender."
"Never…" The wizard raised his staff high, his face contorted with fury, intending to unleash a spell, but once again, the young man was faster. With a simple thought, he had already conjured another energy arrow, pointing at him and releasing it without any hesitation or warning. "Sleep Inducer."
The arrow that was shot from the bow released pink colored gas through its tip, enveloping only its target in a matter of seconds. The wizard didn't even get the chance to finish his spell, and he was rendered unconscious, collapsing to the ground.
As the villagers were freed, they gathered at the bridge, staring at their savior in awe. The latter tied up the wizard and threw him on his Pegasus Mount.
One of the villagers stepped forward and asked. "Who are you, savior?"
The young man mounted on top of Pegasus and turned around calmly. "Son of Artemis and King Erython, General of Athens. My name is Lycandros."
*Neigh*
The Pegasus soon flapped its wings and flew into the sky, disappearing from everyone's sight in no time.
Beneath the black waters, the woman's eyes glowed faint red as she surfaced, unseen by the villagers above. She clenched her fists, whispering while watching the Pegasus fly away. "You will pay for this, Lycandros. Even if it takes a century."