• Chapter 3: The Chase Is On!

    The next day, Valerius went to visit Delphinia’s home, unaware of the kidnapping.
    He would soon find out, however, as he saw some Imperial Guards and local police force—dressed in what one would expect in modern day police apparel—outside Delphinia’s home.
    Valerius went up to one of the guards and asked, “Sir! What has happened?”
    The guard turned to face Valerius—and this was the same guard who reported the theft of the stone tablet. He did not mince words. He answered Valerius, “Delphinia Triantafyllou has been kidnapped!”
    The words sent a chill down Valerius’ spine.
    “Who could have done this?!” he asked.

    The guard spoke, “It cannot be a coincidence—it must have been the very perpetrator who stole the stone tablet last night during the 700th anniversary celebration… the warlock Erebus Tonadi!”
    “Erebus Tonadi?!” Valerius repeated, and then asked, “The same warlock who wants to make himself a god?!”
    “The same,” answered the guard. “I would not be surprised if the reason he kidnapped her was for part of the Forbidden Ritual.”
    “Forbidden… Ritual?” asked Valerius, now more than ever fearing for Delphinia’s life.
    “Yes,” said the guard. “Long ago, a mad spellbinder also wanted to make himself a god, so with the help of fallen gods banished from the heavens, he had written down the ritual on a tablet.
    “But, Zeus countered the plot by sending his son Hercules, along with the Amazon Atlanta and the Argonaut Jason, to thwart this spellbinder. But even with all of Hercules’ might, the stone tablet could not be destroyed. Even Zeus could not bring himself to do so, fearing that the evil within the stone tablet would be unleashed unwittingly.
    “So, the first Emperor—the ancestor of our beloved emperor, of course—agreed to seal it away in the Imperial Palace. And that’s where it lay… until last night, of course.”

    Valerius knew he had to stop Erebus… not only to save his beloved Delphinia, but all of Olympalantis as well!
    “SOMEONE! HELP!” a voice cried out. It was a voice Valerius recognized immediately.
    “Delphinia!” he said. He turned and faced the direction the cry came from. His face filled with rage to see Erebus holding Delphinia near him, his arm around the maiden’s neck, and herself struggling in vain to get free.
    Valerius shouted, “You must be Erebus Tonadi, the one responsible for this outrage!”
    “The proof is in the pudding, is it not?” Erebus replied with a chuckle. “I’d love to stay and chat, but I need to find the other ingredients for the ritual. I will have your girlfriend by me as insurance that I would not be interrupted unnecessarily!”
    The warlock laughed as light shone around him, and both were surrounded by a sphere.
    “VALERIUS! HELP!” cried Delphinia as she was taken away.

    “I WON’T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS, EREBUS!” shouted Valerius as he began to chase the sphere.
    However, being the capital of the same empire that bears its name, Olympalantis was a large city indeed. By the time he neared the city limits, Valerius soon found himself panting.
    “Ho there, stranger,” said a gruff yet friendly voice. “You can’t take this journey alone—you’ll need all the help you can get.”
    Valerius turned around. After looking back and forth, he looked down slightly to see a Dwarf. His skin was wheat colored, and his hair and beard were seal brown. Most of the hair atop his head was under a helmet that was pigment green and had timberwolf gray horns. But whatever hair he did show was quite brush like. Even his own beard was almost wiry in texture. His eyes were a gray-hazel. The outermost edge of the iris was cadet gray, the next “ring” of the iris was regular gray, and the ring of iris near the pupil was slate gray.
    The Dwarf’s clothing, aside from the aforementioned helmet, was a pine green coat that had celeste colored fur around the neck, sleeve cuffs, and waist area. His pants were colored a Phthalo green, and were held in place by an eggplant purple belt with a copper buckle. And the small yet sturdy creature wore boots that were field drab with camel fur around the holes the legs went through.
    Valerius also noticed the Dwarf had with him a large battle hammer, since the outer countryside was filled with dangers for the unwary. The hammer had a rust colored shaft, yet the human knew it was still fresh and strong. The head was cobalt blue, and had two faces for striking. The sides of the head had unmistakable Dwarven designs.
    “Who are you, good stranger,” asked Valerius.
    The Dwarf chuckled heartily and answered, “My name is Nauplius Sideras, of Gray Corfu. I was visiting here to take part in the 700th anniversary of the empire as you most likely were, as well as peddle some wares made from my people.”
    “I am Valerius Magnitis of Paxotassia Town,” replied Valerius.
    “The same Paxotassia Town in the Ionized Ionian Islands?” asked Nauplius.
    “The same,” Valerius said with a nod.

    “So,” said Nauplius, “the one that fiend kidnapped, Delphinia, is your beloved, eh? Well, since she’s also one of the empire’s top-notch healers, that’s another reason to save her.”
    “Yes,” said Valerius in agreement. “And since he had stolen the stone tablet containing the Forbidden Ritual, defeating Erebus is also the only way to save all of the Olympalantian Empire!”
    “The Forbidden Ritual?!” gasped Nauplius. “Let’s go and stop him! I have friends in the Emerald Kavala Forest! They can aid us as well!”
    Nauplius shared with Valerius an energy drink he had with him at the time. After being rejuvenated, the two soon began their journey, by entering the Emerald Kavala Forest from the West Side of Olympalantis.