"It is all because of the Flame Emperor." Sighed the chief's soul.
"Flame Emperor?" I asked.
"A man with tremendous strength, some say he has already above Rank 7, a god walking amongst mortals…" The chief sighed. "A barbaric, monstrous Fire Giant born in the Central Area of our Continent, known for his atrocities and merciless nature. He surged out of nowhere several years ago, and slowly started massacring villages and adding the survivors into his own group, slowly forming an indestructible Empire born from brutality."
"This continent… Is such a place where something like this can just happen?" Asked Ruby in surprise. "Meanwhile in Jotunheim, there's a whole alliance that fights against such things… The difference is so big."
"Our lands had always been shrouded in battle and bloodshed, Kingdoms and Empires never last enough, swarmed by the savage barbarian tribes sooner or later." Sighed the chief. "Not only we Fire Giants inhabit these lands either, Trolls, Orcs, and Goblins make up a large, sizable chunk of the intelligent tribes around here, so they easily pose a great threat. And their fast multiplication is also an issue."
"…Nonetheless, that wasn't the point." He sighed. "The Flame Emperor is… a mysterious man who possess a Fragment of the Heart of Flames. Our God Logi himself, long ago, was torn into fragments, and such fragments eventually became our treasures, we protect his legacy while he gave us his strength."
"Wait, my brother… Was he being used like this?!" Aegir suddenly got angrier.
"Ignore her." I said. "Please, continue…"
"Long ago, our continent was even more filled with battle, but these Red Shards, the heart of our God Logi, were found by different tribes." He sighed. "Our tribe was one of them. Our ancestor swallowed it, and since then, his descendants had inherited it, somehow. Every child born with a jewel in their forehead would then inherit it to their first child later on. Those born with this jewel were named Oracles and possessed powerful abilities. Yet the jewel the Flame Emperor has is covered in the blood of one of them."
"Long ago, the Oracles made their own villages, and defended them, slowly, we brought a stability to our continent using their strength, and they became our saviors." Sighed the tribe chief. "However, such balance was broken when that tyrant emerged. He had killed… probably two by now, taking away their jewels out of their bodies, and now he seeks the last of them. One of them… wielded by my grandson, and the other, probably far away, within the Infernal Catacombs where the Ancient Venerable of Flames, who once held all fragments, is resting."
"I see…" I nodded. I could more or less understand what was happening.
The continent's population formed a stability thanks to the Red Orb Fragments being wielded by the "Oracles", thanks to that, wars were much less common, and the Fire Giants were able to live peacefully.
However, this peace was broken by the Flame Emperor, someone that just… appeared out of nowhere? Strange. He should at least have some sort of past, no? Some sort of tribe he originated. Unless… Unless he's somehow not from this continent at all.
"Is the Flame Emperor a Fire Giant like you?" I asked.
"Yes…" Sighed the chief. "Yet his size and appearance were different too, he was much bigger, stronger, and powerful than any Fire Giant I've ever seen before. More than a Fire Giant, he looked like young Fire Titan, but the Titans are long gone, and those that might still be alive are resting within the Volcanoes…"
"Hmm, this Flame Emperor might actually be Oberon." I sighed. "He's always everywhere, that bastard…"
"Most likely." Benladann nodded. "After all, he was able to divide his fragments and give them bodies of different races to comprehend the elements. Black was an Ice Giant, Red was a Vampire, the Deep One was… an eldritch monster. Greenwood is an elf, I suppose the Flame Emperor is the Fire Giant."
"Oberon…?" The chief was confused. "You're talking about the first venerable ever?!"
"Yeah, turns out he's a bastard that has been messing around with this world's history for generations." I sighed. "I fear he might had infiltrated your continent all those years ago, and has begun gathering these Red Orb Fragments to gain power and fully comprehend the element of flames."
"N-No…" The chief muttered. "This is… in such a huge scale? Then this is impossible… How will you ever triumph against such a powerful being? My grandkids…"
"Don't worry." I smiled. "We'll find them and protect them." I nodded. "And we'll kill that bastard, just like we've done with all the others."
"D-Dragon King…" The chief looked at me with his transparent, golden eyes that his soul form possessed. "In you… I'll put my trust. My grandkids and the other survivors had ran away into the Muspel's Bone Mountains Range. They seek the Fire Dragon, who had appeared in my grandson's revelation as someone that could help them."
"I guess they're going for the same goal." Miranda sighed. "Well, that makes it easier."
"But even at this rate, you won't be able to reach them in time before the Emperor does…" The chief said. "At most, you'll have a few days but…"
"We'll fly at maximum speed, I can travel across a continent in a few hours." I smiled. "We'll fly over that bastard and get towards his goal first."
"Hmm… It is not that I don't trust your courage and power but… With your might, there might be an even faster way to reach there. A path impossible for my grandkids and the survivors due to its perilous, challenging road." He sighed.
"What path?" I wondered.
"To the southwest of this area, where there's a Volcano with a large tower made out of red stone, lays the first entrance to the Venerable of Flame's Inheritance, an infernal place that connects to the Infernal Catacombs." He said. "If you can enter such an inheritance and complete its trials, not only will you'll receive the power of this ancient ruler, but also, a shortcut to the Muspel's Bone Mountain Range."
"So such a place was so close from here…" I nodded. "Very well."
