[Spring, Year 1612]
"HALTTT!!!" A commanding voice yelled, raising his right arm ninety degrees before pulling the reins, stopping his horse and everyone behind him.
The temperature dropped abnormally low despite the season and it being only a few hours past noon. The area they were in was strangely covered in a thin layer of ice.
"Get off your horses! We shall investigate this area by foot." The commander ordered.
A group of around a dozen knights on horseback immediately got off, tying their horse to the nearest tree.
This group of knights were sent out by the King of the Korx Kingdom, trying to fulfill their duty of patrolling this dense pine forest and reporting to the King of any strong monsters they find or slay. The King specifically told them to search hard for rare gemstones these monsters may drop, which is highly concentrated with power.
For hours, the knights found nothing but tall pine trees, plants, and nature. If they were lucky, they would encounter one or two animals that lived in the forest. Nothing they encountered so far was worth reporting. Everyone thought this would be a dangerous mission because of what they were told prior during the briefing: a deadly viper with a crown scale on its head was spotted a few months ago deep within this pine forest.
However, just when the knights were about to exit the forest, they encountered... this.
The sound of armor clanking, and heavy footsteps echoed through the dark forest. The cold air made the knights shiver. The closer they got to the cause, the colder the air, and the more frozen and slippery the ground was. A few of the knights almost slipped and fell multiple times before reaching their destination.
Multiple gasps were made in unison as they stared in horror at the scene before them. The feared king viper was frozen entirely by what seems to be a broken wooden branch stabbed in its head. Its body had multiple holes in them, indicating something sharp and quickly pierced the viper cleanly while it was still alive.
"We need to hurry and report back to the King. Someone did this—the gemstone is missing! We need backup immediately." The commander spoke. In the corner of his eyes, he noticed two children-sized pairs of shoes stuck in the frozen ground. One pair of shoes was larger than the other, but still both a relatively small size.
"Bring these back to the King as well," he added.
"Yes, sir!!" The knights said in unison, saluting quickly before proceeding with their orders.
— — —
"Is that really what happened?" A loud voice full of authority echoed throughout the throne room.
The King sat on his throne, his old age shown through a mix of grey and blond strands of hair. He has a beard, which made him look even older than his actual age. His dark blue eyes glared at the person before him, seeing him as a mere pawn to achieve his goal.
"Yes, your majesty. This subject would never dare lie!" The commander emphasized, bowing his head politely.
"Hmph. Immediately search for the owners of these pairs of shoes! Capture them, even if they are children, as they are the only clues to finding the king viper's gemstone. I will send carriages and two dozen more knights to help retrieve the dead body of the king viper. Bring the children here, alive! Kill those who get in the way without mercy." The King demanded coldly.
He absolutely needs to have this gemstone for himself. Without it, how would he become more powerful? The King is determined. He will use any method, even if it is cruel, to get what he wants. The King always gets what he wants.