Heavy is the Head that Wears the Solemn Crown

Twenty-Three - The Labors of the Blade

Techno

Techno leaned down at the water's edge. He placed the tips of his fingers against the edge, feeling the cool wetness seep into his skin. He pulls his hand out immediately, looking around the riverbanks at a lower angle. He notices several details about the river around him. For one, there's a crate lodged between two smooth rocks that cut through the water's current like a sword cleanly slicing through glass. For another thing, the scent of alcohol is lingering in the air, stronger when a person is close to the river. The last clue is that most of the animals are absent. There are no birds in the sky, rabbits in the bushes, or deers idling near the trees. There are clear signs that something loud had passed through not that long ago, scaring off the local wildlife and dropping crates into the water. If pirates were traveling on a rapidly sinking ship, they would no doubt get rid of the unnecessary weight. Techno was just surprised that he hadn't found footprints of a pirate running away after being thrown overboard for not proving his worth. He could have drowned, but Techno didn't sense any blood in the water.

Techno takes a step away from the riverbank, continuing down the path he was on now. He just needed to make certain that he was continuing down the right path. Mellohi river had many tributaries, many without names or markings on a map. The pirates were likely to turn into one of these confluent branches. They could ditch the ship there and make their way back on foot. Of course, their decision to move on foot would make them easier targets for Techno. Niki told him a rough estimation of how many pirates there were, and considering they had taken prisoners, they would be slow and leave behind many signs. Any person with working eyes would be able to tell that a large group of people were trodding through the forest, and Techno had far more than his vision.

Against his will, Techno began thinking about his past as he walked alongside the raging river. He had hunted like this many times before, so it was difficult to stop his past from overlapping with this specific moment. All those times before he had been tracking monsters or enemies to the empire.

His first mission after proving that he was the Champion of the Blood Gods was to find and eliminate a dangerous monster that lived underground. Techno had been certain that it was a suicide mission because the monster he was sent to kill was a wither. A wither was a demonic beast made from the combined energies of three dead wither skeletons, and those skeletons could only be formed after a skeleton soaked up a century's worth of negative energy in the air. It was a floating monster made from rapidly regenerating bones that shot out poisonous balls of energy. Any moving creature was its target, and it had been known to kill everyone who had gone after it before. The Emperor of the Antarctic Empire stared Techno right in the eyes as he demanded that Techno bring him the Nether Star, a gemstone that could be produced by killing the wither.

Steve and Alex had talked Techno's ear off when he first left the palace. Steve told him a million different practical facts about the wither, and Alex told him all the amazing moves he could perform now that he had divine energy running through his veins. Techno had been unsure about his abilities. He had been able to kill simple monsters in the forest, but he was a farmer at heart. How could he defeat something like the wither, an ancient beast of corruption and negativity?

He was given the axe of peace from Alex and Steve. It was the one weapon they shared, infused with all the best qualities of their domains. Alex looked sad when she handed it over, and Steve made sure to remind Techno that it was an important artifact that could not be lost or abused. Techno would later learn that it had been a gift to the twin gods by someone they highly respected, but they never told Techno who this person was. All Techno received were bittersweet looks that made him feel like he should already know who the person was.

He was also given a horse named Andrew by the imperial family. It was a horse bred for war. His mother had been the fastest horse in the imperial stables, and his father had been one of the sturdiest. Neither of Andrew's parents had been skittish or fearful, and Andrew ended up inheriting their best qualities. Techno accepted the gift from the imperial family. It made him feel like maybe he wasn't being sent off to his own death because he was given such an exceptional horse. His idea was shut down when he was harshly told by a servant that the only reason Andrew was allowed to come with him was because the imperial prince willed it so. Techno supposed he should have known that Crown Prince Scott was looking after him. His life had been ensured only because the prince begged his father to give Techno a chance.