Chapter Text
In the distant past, before the concept of time was even conceived, a fierce battle raged between the Gods and the Dragons. The earth was scorched by their fiery breath, and the blood spilled in these battles created vast rivers. The Gods emerged victorious over the monstrous beings, and they deliberated at length on what should be done next. Until one of the Gods proposed sealing the king within his own prison. Thus, nine lords became the crystals, the keys to this prison, guarded by the loyal followers of the Gods. And so the era of destruction in Arduin the Scorched came to an end, ushering in a new age of peace.
***
In the thriving capital, a gentle breeze carried the fresh green leaves that had just fallen from the trees through the streets. As the sun neared the horizon, it painted the sky in delicate hues. A tranquil silence reigned over the city, until a chair suddenly flew out of a window.
"Ha, I won!" The loud thud of a glass filled with foaming ale being placed on the table interrupted the peaceful scene. A young man with short, unruly black hair rested his elbows on the table, cradling his head in his hands. A faint blush could be seen on his pale face, and his gray eyes sparkled with a mischievous grin that had been present all evening. "Pay up!"
In response to this declaration, the other person at the table simply rolled their eyes but obediently tossed a single gold coin onto the table. This individual possessed an equally striking appearance, with hair divided evenly down the middle in two contrasting colors and mismatched eyes. They slowly sipped their wine, occasionally glancing at their companions. A dark blue coat hung on the back of their chair.
"Why do we keep doing this?" Kirishima complained loudly, putting his feet up on the table and rocking back and forth in his chair. "Demons are more resistant to alcohol than humans. He didn't even get drunk, but we were completely wasted."
"Who's nuts?....Me?....I'm sober as a judge!" The girl exclaimed and even tried to jump to her feet, but immediately fell back, clutching her stomach and covering her mouth with her hand. Her magician's hat fell to the floor, but was immediately picked up by the adventurer boy and unofficial leader of this squad.
"We need to celebrate our victory somehow." He put two more mugs on the table and began to shake the dust off his hat. He was the youngest member of the squad. Green hair soft to look at, and eyes always sparkled with curiosity and sincerity, "by the way, has anyone seen Kaminari?"
"You call this a victory! We chopped up a bunch of goblins and are enjoying life. Drinking away all the money in this godforsaken place!" The blond walked up to the table and turned it over with one kick. The noise that was still audible in the tavern suddenly died down. They tried to look ashamed, but the alcohol dictated its own rules. A second later, Uraraka started laughing and the others followed suit. The barbarian growled in irritation and went to the exit.
"Kacchan! Wait!"
"Go to hell! And don't call me that." The doors slammed behind him. The atmosphere became completely joyless. The hostess approached their table and began to demand payment for the damaged furniture and drinks. Midoriya tried to wriggle out of it as best he could, but there was practically no money left. A bag of gold was handed to the woman from over his shoulder. She took it, counted it and nodded. Izuku jumped on Tokoyami out of joy, and he simply patted him on the shoulder.
"But where did you get so much?"
"Honestly, I stole from the next table and planned to keep them for myself, but something didn't work out." A whole crowd of mercenaries burst into the tavern and they reeked of blood. They laughed loudly and chased the drunks away from the table with just a look. Several orcs and cobalt rats, even a human and a drow elf had sneaked in somewhere. Not the most pleasant company.
"Mistress, bring all the best booze you have. Today you were visited by the Silver Wolves, the greatest gang in all of Ardvin," the largest orc bared his fangs. Then he winced and began to sniff the air, "since when did demons start leaving their hole in the ground?" His buddies only giggled at their leader's comments.
"That's right boss! They were once the strongest race in the world, but then the Saints banished them and sealed them away." Cobalt rubbed his paws and bared his crooked teeth in a semblance of a smile. His disgusting bald tail wriggled behind his back. From these words, the floor under Tokoyami's feet began to crack more and more. "What a shame..." He didn't have time to finish, because an arrow pierced his head. A bloody mess flowed down the wall. Todoroki held his crossbow with his arm outstretched and prepared for the next shot. The orc roared and grabbed his axe, but was stopped by a mace blow under his knee, and when he fell to the ground, he received several powerful blows to the face from Kirishima. The remaining cobalt dogs tried to attack Shoto from behind, but were caught by shadow tentacles and became familiar with the ceiling and floor of the tavern. The drow elf grabbed his bow and fired an arrow at Midoriya, but he blocked it with his sword. The remaining human ran without looking back until he was grabbed by the throat by a powerful jaw. The fox spat out his prey. It was as big as a grown man's thigh.
"Why do I always miss a good fight?" Katsuki pouted. The door he was about to lean on came crashing off its hinges. This drove the innkeeper crazy and she threw the heroes out. "Glitter, what do we do now?"
"Earn even more," the fox turned human again and took a folded piece of paper out of his pocket. He put a black hat with a feather from some bird of paradise on his head. In large letters it was written:
If you are brave heroes, then come to the palace and receive a task.
Generous reward
"And we're going there? To the capital itself," the barbarian was skeptical. The main city was crawling with guards and various slave traders, and worse. And with their track record, their place was in one of the cells of the local prison. Izuku held the swaying Ochako while she drank an anti-hangover potion.
"Do we have a choice?" It was hard enough to get words out of Shoto, but even he agreed with their plan. This was the last inn that didn't close its doors to them right away. There was no gold left for a night's lodging, and the clouds were starting to thicken. "Fumi, can you take us to the castle?"
"I can't promise to take you straight to the castle, but I'll try." The demon began to massage his stiff neck. A small circle formed around the brunette. He closed his eyes as black smoke began to billow at their feet and it seemed to get darker. Suddenly the ground slipped out from under their feet and they fell into the abyss. The street turned out to be empty.
***
Ardvin, the ancient capital founded by the Gods themselves after defeating the dragons, has become home to many races. Despite its glorious history, the city is not without dark secrets and intrigues that are woven behind the ruler's back. On top of the hill, a castle of white stone with high towers is erected. The city is located at the foot of the hill, protected from enemy attacks by walls and watchtowers. The main gate is open to traders, travelers and simple adventurers. There is a square with a fountain and space for your shops and tents. The streets are patrolled day and night by city guards. People, elves, gnomes wander back and forth. Someone is trading, calling out to customers, and someone is trying to lower the price of a certain product.
In the shadows hidden from prying eyes, a shadow portal opened. From there, our grief-stricken heroes poured out.
"How I hate this. You could have at least arranged a soft landing." Bakugou gets up from the ground and tries to recover from the transfer. Every time it's the same "either you don't have the brains or strength to carry people normally."
"If you don't like it, then you're welcome to go on your own. Or I'll just leave you somewhere in the mountains if you keep complaining." Fumikage turned sharply towards the speaker and his cloak fluttered behind him, becoming like wings. They had argued about this more than once, and each time it ended in a fight. Katsuki reached for his sword, and Tokoyami pulled off his glove. Claws grew on the tips of each finger. Both of their eyes glowed red. Kaminari squeezed between them.
"Hey, that's enough for you. You'll have time to fight later. Our main goal is the castle and an audience with the king."
Midoriya rubbed soothing circles on Ochako's back while she was feeling sick from the transfer. Todoroki looked around the streets for guards, but there were none in sight. And anyway, this wasn't the best or safest area. Eijiro approached him, "we need to go."
The two calmed down more or less. The demon's eyes turned gray again and he pulled his hood over his head. The group split up, some would go to the king, and Denki and Toko would go to a familiar shop to visit old friends. Winding streets led them to an unremarkable two-story house. The sign swayed and creaked slightly. The werewolf drew an intricate symbol on the door, and it glowed with golden light. A passage opened with various paintings from great battles to a basket of fruit. The two travelers went inside.
"Welcome to the Gizmo Shop!" A middle-aged man with long, blond hair braided into a ponytail came out to them. He was dressed in a simple shirt and pants, and had square-framed glasses on his nose. As soon as he noticed the guests, a sunny smile appeared on his face. "Guys, it's been so long since I've seen you. Shota, Shota, come out of your dark corner. The boys are finally back." The man embraced them warmly. A black cat with a disgruntled face jumped onto the counter, and a second later another man with a tired look was standing there. His dark hair was tangled, and stubble was starting to appear on his face. Baggy clothes hung on his body, but he still did not hide his warm smile.
"Hello, Master," they bowed their heads in respect. The two had taken them in during the most difficult time of their lives. They had given them a roof over their heads and taught them as best they could. "Sorry it's been so long since we've visited. I had some things to do."
"Save your apologies and honorifics for someone else. I'm too old for that." Aizawa walked up with Fumi and began to examine him for new scars, before pulling down his hood. Mick did the same with the werewolf. "You're still wearing that rag around your neck." The old scarf was torn in some places and barely covered the skin. Underneath was a jagged scar left by a demon hunter. Afterwards, Shota walked up and looked under the counter, taking out a box. Inside was a red necklace. With special care, it was fastened around his neck ward "You're one of my problem children. And I want you to be safe. That includes you too, Denki."
"Yes, sir!" Now fox ears with pointed ends appeared on his head and a tail wagging with joy. Beastmen were better off hiding who they really were, since they could end up in slavery to some noble. But there was no need to hide here. This was their home. Aizawa looked them over a little more. He gently ran his fingers over the marks under Fumi's eyes. They were two small arrows that could grow larger in true form.
"Let's make some tea," Mick suggested.
***
The others finally reached the palace, but two guards blocked their way. "Why have you come?"
"We need an audience with His Majesty," Izuku stepped forward, taking out a poster. The guards had no choice but to let them in. In the throne room, all the council members had gathered near the king. They were loudly arguing about the current situation. The monarch himself was sitting on the throne, massaging his temples from a headache. He was not a tall old man with a small white beard and graying hair. Soft features and an upturned nose. He was dressed in a suit with a vest, and over it a maroon robe trimmed with animal fur. A simple diadem with a single ruby adorned his head.
"Lord, Nezu, I request permission to send troops to the east. We must kill this creature before it strikes." A strong man in armor and a cloak with the kingdom's coat of arms stubbornly demanded. Someone nodded at his words.
"I understand your concerns, Sir Taishiro, but we can't do something we don't understand." The elf Nemuri entered the argument. "Let's send a squad of mercenaries to scout out."
"No one came back from there," Atsuhiro answered, shaking his head. A master of illusions and one of the first on the council. An eyepatch covered the scar on his right eye, "there are not even bones left of the last ones."
Izuku tried to attract the attention of the monarchs, but they stubbornly ignored him. So Bakugo coughed loudly, which echoed throughout the hall, "we came by invitation." And handed over the long-suffering paper.
"Gentlemen, I see that you are all quite worried about the current situation. However, before taking any drastic measures, I would like to listen to these young men." The king cast a penetrating glance at those present, and then turned his gaze to the leader, waiting for his explanation. Midoriya took a deep breath, feeling his heart pounding with excitement.
"We will take on this task, but for a certain price." He blurted out in one breath. All eyes turned to them. The attention sent shivers down their spines, "with your permission of course."
"You will allow these... rats to carry out the mission. Don't make me laugh," an elf with dark skin and white wavy hair stepped forward. His eyes narrowed in disdain. Sure, they weren't looking their best. Their clothes were dirty, their weapons hadn't seen a clean in a long time, and they could use a shower, but still. Kirishima bared his teeth, and Katsuki was ready to rush into battle. Uraraka, embarrassed, pulled her hat down even lower.
"Shut up, Aesis! My word will be the last in this conflict!" The king's menacing voice made the court mage shut his mouth. His Majesty rose from the throne, and the council parted to the sides. "I ask you, brave warriors, to defeat the monster terrorizing our lands. And I will reward you well for your efforts." He gestured to the guard to bring out the chest. The adventurers' eyes sparkled again at this sight.
"We agree!"
"He was last seen near a fishing village. I think it was called Fisherman's Bay." The army general nodded to them.
"I hope fortune does not turn away from you!" These were the king's last words before the doors slammed shut.