The New Kingdom

[King Krios]

It wasn’t so much the feeling of the hot sands on the hide as it was mouthful of sand that seemed like punch to the jaw. He grunted soundly as his horns broke through the golden sands. Large nostrils opened wide to take in the hot air of the arid landscape that stretched as far as the eye could see. But something was different. There was nothing but sands and shimmering air from the intense sun above. Home wasn’t home anymore.

Krios blinked several times as he adjusted, sitting down in the sand with a thud as he took in his surroundings. Minotaur all around seemed to be doing the same as they shifted and moved from seemingly crumpled positions, taking in the very images their King was viewing. Confusion swept over the herd like a cloud, and it was quite some time before the King rose to speak.

“Gods have punished us. We not please them. They take everything away.”

Shaking, King Krios got to his hoofed feet. His thick, corded muscles protested the motions as he moved, his body reacting like it hadn’t moved in years. His head began to whirl as he blinked several times, struggling to regain his wits. He was not a scholar by any stretch of the imagination, but he knew that now was the time to keep his people calm. The slightest hint of fear could result in frenzy, and the chaos that would have ensued would be even more catastrophic than the events that seemed to have unfolded already.

Slowly Krios moved through the confused looking Minotaur, taking into account each one and the general appearance of his people. It was quite some time before he had observed all of those that appeared in the desert with him, and he had used that time to begin to formulate what needed to be done. He cleared his throat and turned to face the Minotaur that had been ripped into this dimension.

“We do what we always do. We rebuild. We stay strong. We fight.”

[King Krios]

We fight. It was almost a mantra to the Minotaur that had been sucked through the bizarre portal wrought forth from the Arc of Life and the twisting vortex of the Arc of Dreams. They were confused and on the fringe of frenzy, but Krios held a tight reign upon his herd. The tribal homelands of the Minotaur were a strict society, ruled by the Chieftains and Shamans of each tribe. There were seemingly hundreds of tribes, but now it only scattered portions of each tribe remained. Chieftains and Shamans were still in existence, along with Keepers of the Peace, so all was not a total loss.

The primary hours of the Minotaur’s arrival were difficult, but Krios retained his iron fist. He began to establish the new tribes in this similar but foreign world. Seven tribes were remade in this fashion and Krios assured the tribal Chieftains and Shamans that once the whole of the lands were explored and understood the plotting of the lands and boundaries would be established. Now, however, was a time for reconstruction and resilience, for none of the Minotaur knew what beasts may lurk in the fiery sands they had been deposited into.

Within the stretch of two weeks the Minotaur had explored the whole of the desert lands they now inhabited. The observed the strong mountain range that acted as a spine along the entire western border of the sands, as well as a small patch of plains to the north, the seas to the east and a small opening to the forests in the south. Small groups of Minotaur of the tribesman that the King had claimed were dispatched to these entrances, effectively securing the Minotaur lands from invaders to the west and to the south. Small patrols were established to monitor the northern plains and the eastern coastline. Structure was slowly returning to Krios’ empire.

Various and lush oasises were discovered, along with exotic and bizarre plant and animal life. They sampled and dabbled in all of these, killing off the animals and harvesting the plants. Much of the flora were spined and rugged, but the thick tongues of the Minotaur made short work of the plant defenses. Reptillian creatures as well as larger mamals were tracked and killed, hides being stripped and stretched to be used as canvas for structures. Massive pits were discovered littered throughout the sands, going far underground until even light could not pierce the depths. The Minotaur patrol paid special attention to these.

The most important principal had been established – the protection of the whole of the herd’s lands. Now it was time to divvy up said lands evenly and as fairly as possible amongst the tribes. The division would be crucial and ultimately each tribe would be responsible for a vital part of the Minotaur reconstruction. Those near the coast would be means of the little food Minotaur required to survive. Those that bordered the mountains would need to extract precious ores and minerals from the earth to craft the ferocious weapons and crude armor Minotaur were infamous for. It was the tribes to the south, however, that were pressed with an immediate concern.

Great quantities of wood were required for the construction of the whole of the Minotaur Empire. They were, after all, primitive beings and the most exquisite building prowess the Minotaur exhibited would be saved for the stronghold Krios would reside in, a sort of tribute to the King for keeping the herd safe as well as a stationary post for all tribes to come to for virtually any reason. It was the hub of Minotaur life and, in turn, must be the most secure and protected. Tribes were divided – for the time being – between the north and the south. The northern legions – excluding King Krios – were to rebuild the stronghold that would be the “crown jewel” of Minotaur life. The southern legions, headed by Krios himself, were responsible for exploring the dark and strange forests to the south and for the reconstruction of the rest of the tribal lands.

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“TO ME!”

The bellow of the King of the Minotaur ripped through the forests of the Dryads. The savage attacks were devastating to the creatures of the woods, even with the ruthless beasts not having anything for weapons but massive fists and heavy hooves. The thinning Dryads fell in the wave of madness that was the first assault on the forest home of the woodland creatures, as the Minotaur were far better warriors then their neighbors and soon weapons were fabricated from the scuffles and battles. The base of the southern legions under Krios was now armed and a new assault began.

“TO ME!”

Once more his voice boomed out as a swath was cut through a pathetic line of defense the Dryads had attempted to establish. Weapons and armors were fed backwards through the ranks to be melted down and remade into more brutish and larger items, suitable for the barbaric Minotaur that began to lay waste to the southern parts of the forest. Animals and wood alike were gathered and brought through the lines. Hides were torn from carcasses and wood was shaped and split, crafted into the sturdy building materials that would be required to build homes and shelter for the different Tribes.

Dryad axes and modified Minotaur weapons cleaved through beast and foe alike as the crazed warriors swept and cleared the southern tip of the Dryad woods, stretching from either coast of the triangle-like protrusion of Terra Centilina. The beasts then began to work north, meeting fierce resistance from the magic-wielding forest dwellers. More Minotaur fell to savage psychic assaults and brutal magics wrought forth from the earth. But still Krios was there on the front lines, ordering further advances north in a valiant effort to rebuild his empire.

One by one, shelters and homes were rebuilt, stretching from the southern lands north as the Minotaur attacks in the Wood of the Dryads became less and less. Within a week and a half’s time, while acres of the forests had been cleared, the tribal homes had been rebuilt and borders began to be secured. Krios began to move back north, ensuring first that each tribe had ample land and were well protected before moving forward. By the time he had returned to the north to where his stronghold would be, the Minotaur Empire was virtually back to normal. Fierce weapons and thick armor were being crafted and passed throughout the lands. Food was being harvested and stored and water sources were being cleansed by Shamans and life seemed to begin to have some semblance of normalcy.

While the conquest for reconstruction was going on to the south, the more skilled and intelligent Minotaur that had passed through the portal were hard at work to the north. They were the few gifted with the touch of magic, pulling forth much needed minerals from the earth and mountains. Deep recesses began to be carved into the very mountain side as the stronghold of Krios began to be reformed. It was a much longer process than reestablishing the tribal lands to the south, but the gifted Minotaur worked tirelessly to create and perfect the king’s home.

By the time the Minotaur had been in this new world for a month, all forms of normalcy had returned. The tribal homelands – as primitive as they were – had been completely rebuilt as well as King Krios’ stronghold to the north. The revenge attacks from the Dryads had completely stopped, the forest creatures becoming painfully aware of the ferocious Minotaur style of combat. Soon weapons brandishing the bones of these fragile creatures circulated throughout the kingdom as each Minotaur once more took up massive axes and frightful clubs.

It brought a soft smile to Krios’ face as he sat upon his crude throne in his stronghold to the north, nestled deep in the feet of the mountains. Once again his people had overcome adversity and established the Empire. Order had been restored, borders were enforced with brute strength and life seemed to be normal once more. Those that dared cross over into the deserts of the Minotaur were either dealt with swiftly and struck down or slipped silently by the guards of the various entrances to the sands.

Even still, the Minotaur Empire under the direction of King Krios was born again.[/color]