Exiting the hidden treasure room, they climbed the marble stairs to the throne room, surrounded by carvings and ornate fixtures all around depicting livestock such as cattle and sheep, as well as more structures in the palace's unique style. The two guards, dressed in royal silver armor and holding the handles of their swords on their hips, opened the doors to the throne room the moment they saw the red prince and his guest.
The palace was usually bustling with the activity of merchants and city officials running around as they go to and from military strategy planning meetings. Today however, was quiet, and he could only faintly hear talking from outside as the servants handled deliveries and fed the horses at the stable.
The throne room appeared exactly how Orion had remembered, about as large as a small tavern with four pillars and ancient carvings and symbols on the wall. He still had no idea what meaning they held. In the center of the room sat King Avalon, his skin a darker shade than of his son and black hair with a short well groomed beard. He was dressed in his usual white robes and a large golden crown on his head.
Standing next to him was a woman with dark tan skin and white hair, wearing a gray sleeveless shirt and loose gray pants tucked into white boots. A white belt was fastened around her waist, her neck adorned by a white cape which fur along the hem.
Orion wasn't familiar with every warrior in the kingdom like Achilles was. Many of them would often die before they turned one hundred years of age, so he felt it was a waste of time for Orion to get to know them or work with them extensively. The cycle continued as to whether he got to know them or not.
As they approached, they heard the woman say to the king, "Of course, I would be honored." King Avalon turned to acknowledge their presence in a nod as Draco bowed and elbowed the hunter, as he had forgotten.
"Welcome Orion, it's good to see you again! Before we start, I'd like to thank you for eliminating that griffin's nest last week. You saved our military a lot of trouble, working so quickly." The hunter got up from his bow as he responded, "To be fair I was well compensated, but you're welcome all the same."
Draco walked over to stand next to the woman as the king spoke again, "Well I do admit I did not call you here under any good circumstances, and this will not be mercenary work either. Since you are now a representation of the kingdom of Arcadia and a renowned field expert of the entire realm of Mythos, I am requesting to send you on a mission of vital importance."
Orion's eyes didn't move in excitement or fear at the sound, only his mouth moved next, "What's the reward? Will it be very dangerous or just some war on monsters?"
Draco gasped at his friend's very unfiltered response, but before he could scold him, Avalon raised his hand and spoke, "It's alright Draco, we've known each other long enough to forget formality. Let me explain the mission first, and then I'll get to the rewards and possible risks. I assume you know of the barrier surrounding the realm of Mythos?"
The hunter nodded slowly as the king continued, "Good, and as you know monster activity in the entire realm has gotten out of hand, and they are acting in a frenzy against the kingdom and the villages spanning across the full region. When the kingdom was established by my father five thousand years ago, he found this palace in perfect condition and in it were many tablets with ancient symbols. After all of these years, the Mage Association of the city has been able to decipher some information on the barrier as well as some other interesting facts. The barrier is currently collapsing and we have been able to tell this just by analyzing the spell with modern magic studies. As to for why the barrier is there, we have found the possibility of the existence of several other realms just like Mythos. According to the tablets, they were divided a few thousand years ago for an unknown reason, but the realm of Mythos was completely sealed completely unlike the other realms."
Orion thought for a second at the overwhelming amount of new information, "So what do you want me to do exactly?"
The king smiled as Draco's mouth hung open at the remark, and he continued, "Through further research the mages and scholars have predicted that when the barrier does collapse, it will cause mass destruction throughout the entire region. I want to send you, Draco, and Indra to find a way to deactivate the spell without destroying our beloved landscape and the people who live on it. I have also heard you mention you found ancient ruins in a cave in the mountains a few decades ago near the temple. Do you think this could be some sort of portal out of Mythos?"
Orion rubbed his chin in thought for a second, "It could be. It certainly looked like a sloppy setup compared to the city mages, but if I remember right the orientation was set up for a portal and not anything like summoning."
He didn't like magic much; it was all based on certain rules, concepts, and visualization. Mastering spells was tedious practice which included several methods like mastery over one's own mind. The amount of individual mana also plays a role. The monks showed him the fundamentals of understanding and mastering most spells. Magic did come in handy however, and there were some occasions he praised powerful mages for their deeds and dedication.
Draco smiled as he addressed his friend, "Finally admitting you know your magic?" The hunter shrugged nonchalantly as he answered, "No point in dancing around it this time. Anyway, what will the rewards be? It sounds risky and exciting, so I won't ask much."
King Avalon had a smile on his face as he answered, "Whatever you find or win, as long as you acquire it righteously and with integrity."
For the first time in the long conversation, Orion's eyes sparked interest for a few moments before he turned to look at the woman, "Who is she again? And why is she coming with us?"
The king prepared himself for another explanation to the overly casual questioning, "This is Indra, the champion of the last tournament ten years ago, who also beat Taurus in an upset. She has the innate magic power and storm-like abilities and is the only one out of the three of you who is capable of effortless flight. You will need someone with her scouting ability as well as her aptitude for combat."
She spoke up after her introduction, "Greetings Orion, I have heard many things from Draco, you have quite the reputation. It's not often you see the Prince this excited to have someone in particular accompany him on a mission."
Orion's face turned to confusion as he realized his friend would also be coming, "You mean the mighty Draco is coming with us, surely he doesn't even need help right?"
The red prince rolled his eyes at the remark, but there was a hint of seriousness in his tone, so the king answered, "Draco is very strong yes, but he is lacking the ability to fly and a renowned field guide who is versed in exploration and formidable in combat. As a result, he would surely be at a disadvantage. We don't know what will happen to you in this unknown territory, so we may as well send you over-prepared."
The hunter begrudgingly nodded, with a look of disappointed irritation on his face as he answered, "I appreciate the compliments, but calling me a field guide sounds a little insulting. In any case I accept, I don't have anything better to do."
King Avalon got up to bow to Orion in thanks as he spoke, "Thank you good hunter, you will be departing tomorrow so go prepare yourselves, and the best of luck to you." They all bowed to their king and left the palace for their final night in the city, preparing for the unknown.