An hour before the sun rose from the east, the warriors of the Alborin Tribe stood in front of their Chieftain, Ulric.
In his hand was a small bowl, halfway filled with a black liquid.
It was paste made from charcoal, which he would use to mark the warriors participating in today's mission.
"Today, we fight one of the greatest battles of our lives," Ulric said calmly. "But we are not here to fight for selfish reasons. We came here to fight so our tribe can have a future.
"Warriors of the Alborin Tribe, I am honored to fight by your side."
Ulric understood that there might be casualties in this mission, and the warriors knew it too. However, none of them said anything. There was simply no need to lower everyone's morale.
"Yuni, step forward," Ulric ordered.
"Yes!" Yuni replied as she stood in front of her father.
"May the Goddess of the Earth bless you," Ulric said as he carefully marked Yuni's right cheek with the black paint in his thumb.
He then dipped his finger once more in the bowl and painted her left cheek with another marking.
"May the God of Fortune favor you," Ulric added. "And may the Goddess of Death hold you in her embrace should you fall from battle. Know that you will be with our Ancestors and our warriors, who had all sacrificed their lifetimes for the sake of the Alborin Tribe."
Yuni bowed deeply after her Father had finished giving her the Warrior's Marking of their tribe.
"I will not fail you, Great Chief!" Yuni declared before stepping aside.
The next warrior stepped forward, and just like what Ulric did to Yuni, he gave them the blessing.
When all the warriors were done, Maximus also stepped forward.
Ulric blinked. The White Kobold wasn't really part of their tribe. However, the Kobold's gaze was filled with determination.
Clearly, it was moved by the "Warrior's Right" by the Alborin Tribe and wanted to participate in it as well.
Ulric smiled faintly and dipped his thumb on the bowl and started to mark the Kobold's right cheek.
"Brave Warrior, may your courage inspire others to fight as valiantly as you," Ulric said before marking Maximus' other cheek. "And may the Dragon God watch over you, as you fight for what you believe is right."
The Kobolds were said to worship dragons, and on extremely rare cases, some of them were born with Dragon Blood in their veins. As they grew older, these Kobolds would gain qualities of lesser dragons, even growing wings on their backs.
While they may not be full-blooded dragons, they exhibit a strength that even Dragons recognized, albeit reluctantly.
Maximus nodded before stepping aside.
Leone watched his familiar with a faint smile on his face. He also wished to be marked as a warrior by the Alborin Tribe.
However, he was no warrior. He didn't want to ruin this sacred ceremony, so he stood at the side and simply watched the proceedings.
However, after Ulric finished giving Maximus his Warrior's Mark, he approached Leone with a faint smile on his face.
"Leone, you were not born as a member of the Alborin Tribe," Ulric stated. "You are born from the Kingdom, and the Kingdom and the Barbarian Tribes don't really get along well. However, you still chose to stand with us today.
"As such, I, Ulric, recognize you as a warrior. Would you like to be marked as one of us?"
The young man was surprised that Ulric would extend such an offer to him. There was no need to hesitate, so he stepped forward with a fearless smile on his face.
"I'd be honored to fight alongside the great warriors of the Alborin Tribe," Leone replied.
Ulric nodded, and also marked Leone's left and right cheek.
"I don't know if you are a Hero or a Villain," Ulric said in an amused tone. "But I believe that there are no coincidences in this world. The Goddess has sent you to us, whether by choice or by accident.
"I have no doubt that you are the key that will bring the Alborin Tribe to greater heights. May the Goddess of Fortune watch over you today."
After Ulric finished giving Leone his Warrior's Mark, Maximus clapped its hands, while Yuni smiled faintly.
Anyone who fought alongside them was a friend, and all the warriors of the Alborin Tribe recognized the young man as a true warrior.
They were used to fighting monsters, but Leone was not. Even so, he still decided to fight alongside them. This moved the tribe members, thinking no ordinary person would've done the same.
Many would think he was either brave, or foolish. But Daedalus hovered behind its Master, knowing full well that this was Leone's first step to truly understanding the hardships of being a future ruler.
"Have all of you finished your preparations?" Ulric asked.
""Yes!"" the warriors replied in unison.
"Then we move," Ulric nodded. "Horus and Set, I will leave the protection of our Tribe in your hands while we are away. If we fail to return within two days, take the tribe away and leave this place immediately."
""Yes, Chieftain!""
The two warriors were brothers and knew how to work together. Since Ulric couldn't leave their people without any protection, he decided to leave the two of them behind.
The number of warriors who would be fighting the gryphon, including Leone and Maximus, added up to eight.
If the two brothers were to join their party, their chances of winning would be higher. But that meant leaving no one to ensure the tribe members' safety.
In any case, sacrifices must be made.
"Let's go," Ulric said as he took the lead to march toward the mountain.
Yuni followed behind, and Leone followed next to her.
The other warriors moved in a formation, with Leone at the center. He still needed to be protected until the power of his flag fully activated. No matter what happens, they couldn't let him fall no matter what.
The journey to their destination was not without danger. There were a few monsters watching them from a distance, but made no move to attack them.
Perhaps they realized that Ulric was strong enough to defeat them, so they decided to switch to a weaker prey.
Three hours later, they finally arrived at their destination.
After climbing the cliff that overlooked the forest below, Ulric and the others stared at the opening of the cave, approximately six meters tall and seven meters wide.
A moment later, they sensed movement from inside the cave. A pair of golden eyes shone faintly in the darkness and locked its gaze upon the intruders of its domain.
"Now, Leone!" Ulric shouted.
The young man didn't hesitate to plant the flag on the ground.
Just like Daedalus had explained to him, the flag pole extended as Leone slammed it in place. The white banner unfurled, displaying an image of a lion roaring to the heavens.
As if to announce it had claimed this territory as its own, the flag emitted a lion's roar as if daring anyone to challenge its authority.
It roared with arrogance and defiance, which didn't sit well with the ruler of the Grimjaw Mountain.
A screech erupted from the cave as the gryphon charged out of the cave before flapping its wings to take flight.
It circled around its home and locked its eyes on the young man holding onto the pole of the flag.
The gryphon didn't like someone barging onto its domain without permission. Especially loud, annoying ones who dared to challenge its authority.
"Open Fire!" Ulric roared.
A second later, Yuni unleashed an arrow from her bow, which signaled the start of the battle for survival.