Lost Kingdom
Lord Bilal knelt on the cold Nightmare Palace Throne Room floor. The towering Thanatos looked at him angrily.
"You lost TWICE?" the god shouted in anger.
"My lord, please let me explain. I can explain?" the demon lord begged for his life.
"The human newspaper describes your losses as completely routed," said Lord Baphomet.
"What a loser," mocked Lilith as she laughed manically and pointed at him endlessly.
"My lord, may I suggest you give him another chance? The beastmen, elves, and dwarves have arrived on the Rhaziesian coast. Give him one last chance to redeem himself," Mammon suggested.
"How much did he pay you to say that?" Lilith asked disgustedly.
"Quite the handsome sun," Mammon replied honestly.
"Sire, I agree with Mammon," Lord Baphomet added.
"Bilal bribed you too? Bilal where's my money?" Lilith said feigning sadness.
"Why would I pay you, to separate my head from my neck?" Bilal questioned.
"Good point. I'd rather loot your dead boy. Kill him, sire! Order me and I shall behead him without delay!" she said happily.
"Bilal defeats the demi-humans and your failures shall be forgotten. Should you fail, Lilith shall collect your head for me," Thanatos angrily.
"I accept my liege," Bilal bowed walking out of the portal.
"Limos and his sister Aite shall now command my forces. I will give them a portion of the power to destroy the humans," Thanatos said.
Standing up he pointed this hand and released his power.
The two demigods in Tartarus, eyes shimmered a ghastly gold and they bowed and said, "As God Thanatos commands we shall obey!"
…
King Druker Flameworn, The Queen Sylvania of Yllamoira, Sea Witch, Savage Wolf, Ferocious Bear, Heavenly Eagle, and Swift Tiger sat around a table in an orca-heavy frigate. Their vassals stood along the wall.
Long had the traveled obscure water to reach a hidden fjord downstream.
They traveled through glacial waters, maneuvering slowly around icebergs, and fighting through sea monster-infested territory to reach the hidden inlet.
"We're here in this frigid fjord now what? asked Ferocious Bear.
"Now we travel by foot southward. Outside this fjord, there's a secret mountain temple on the other side of this mountain. That's our destination," the Sea Witch explained.
"How do you know? This seems outside your trading expertise," agreed Swift Tiger.
"The temple was listed in an old trade manifest long ago. My great-grandmother found the on an exploration journey. Although they chose not to trade, she wrote they were amicable," the Sea Witch explained frustratedly.
"You brought us on a goose chase, for a temple that existed a thousand years ago!" Ferocious Bear growled.
"We've come too far to go back. Our allies are counting on our aid," said Queen Sylvania of Yllamoira sincerely.
"Aye, the Elf Queen is right. Or are you lot scared of a mountain?" King Druker Flameworn mocked them in his heavy Scottish accent.
"Watch your tongue tiny dwarf!" Ferocious Bear shot back.
"Tiny, you say? Would you care to have a go-land? I've fought travel trolls bigger, stronger, and nastier than you. Ha-ha," King Druker Flameworn laughed.
"Let's focus, the temple is 185 kilometers southwest according to the manifest. That puts us roughly 25 kilometers from the nearest Qhosnir port settlement," the Sea Witch advised.
"What are we waiting for, let's move out!" Savage Wolf said excitedly.
Heavenly Eagle and Swift Tiger agreed.
The army blazed an alpine trail through the thick brush. It took their army six days through steep forested hilly terrain to reach the mountain temple.
Carved into the mountainside, the temple's exterior was 25 meters wide and 49 meters tall.
There were broken pediments above the Doric columns. Above the broken pediments, the bases of two obelisks appear and stretch upwards into the rock.
"It exists," Heavenly Eagle said in shock.
"Strange, it's Dwarven-made?" King Druker Flameworn said rubbing his long beard as he thought.
"Let's go in and pay our respects," Queen Sylvania of Yllamoira suggested.
They slowly walked into the temple, weapons out. But what they saw took their breath away. Murals depict the creation of elves, dwarves, and beastmen.
"Hello!" shouted Ferocious Bear his voice echoing.
"Quiet you fool! You don't know what might answer back!" scolded King Druker Flameworn.
"You dare—" Ferocious Bear started to say before Swift Tiger interrupted him.
"He's right! Keep it down and prepare for battle," Swift Tiger agreed.
"Let's find a defensible place to settle," advised the Queen Sylvania of Yllamoira.
Which, the Sea Witch was quick to agree and reminded everyone to, "stay together."
"I have a bad feeling," Heavenly Eagle whispered.
"Oh, you don't say? What was your first concern? An empty mountain!" said Ferocious Bear sarcastically.
They quietly explore the temple. The mountains temple was riddled with passages and gorges.
There was a vast and elaborate room. They found a tomb, copper mine, church, other public buildings, an extensive settlement of crude rock houses, dams, and a network of cisterns and reservoirs.
"Where is everyone?" Savage Wolf asked curiously.
On cue, an old man walked out from nowhere with his hands behind his back.
"Stop right there," Ferocious Bear commanded when the short stumpy bearded man was two meters away. His priest robes obscured his face.
"Are you with the demon?" asked the old man.
"No, we're their enemies," Savage Wolf said without thinking.
Queen Sylvania and the Sea Witch recoiled upon hearing his response. Savage Wolf spoke without any consideration for the fact, this man might be a demon or a demon's ally.
"Why have you come to this holy place?" as the old hooded man.
"Stop! We ask the questions, old man. Why are you here? Where are the others? And why'd you ask us about demons? And are they here?" the Bearman asked.
"You think of good etiquette for thefts to ask the owners questions? You answer mine, and I'll answer yours," the old man asked provoking Bearman.
"Why you little —," Ferocious Bear was interrupted a second time."
"Please excuse us. We apologize for entering your city unannounced, we called out, but no one came. We came in hoping to find a place to sleep," Swift Tiger explained.
"Then you are welcome to stay. Welcome to the Lost Kingdom," said the old man extending his hands in the air.
"Lost Kingdom," they all said in unison.
Seconds later thousands of dwarves came out from nowhere to greet them.
The man lowered his hood, and they could see his dwarf features.
"I didn't know there was the Dwarven Kingdom in these mountains?" asked King Druker Flameworn curiously.
"So, a dwarf from where do you hail?" asked the old man.
"I'm King Druker Flameworn, and these are my shield bearers. We come from the northern mountains northwest of here across the sea."
"Then I bid thee, welcome kinsman. I am King Luvraem Axemaster. I've never seen such a fair elf woman before are you perhaps also from across the sea?"
"I am Queen Sylvania of Yllamoira. We are Forest Elves from across the sea. May I ask where the kingdom of elves is located?"
"The Drow Elves live under the mountain. We have not always been on the best of terms. However, we joined forces, along with kobolds, to kick the demons from our lands.
"The elves live in the mountains?" Queen Sylvania repeated curiously.
"Kobolds? Are they a tribe of beastmen?" asked Savage Wolf.
"Yes, one of them. There's also the Gorilla Clan, Goat Clan, Condor Clan, and Leopard Clan," King Luvraem Axemaster.
"Our purpose coming here was to attack the demons. We are allied with the humans, who are attacking from the south.
Can you summon the beastmen and drow here for a meeting? If we can work together to increase our forces it increases our odds of victory," Swift Tiger humbly requested.
"I shall, but I cannot promise they'll attend, or they'll agree to join you. But I expect, they attend if nothing else but for the novelty," King Luvraem explained.