Krakenskull takes Monstrox to Mount Thunderstrox to tell him a legend from Kraken Country. They end up following him to the top of the mountain.
Takes place before the events of Nexo Knights.
the book of monstrox implies monstrox made the colossus but since i had already done the worldbuilding before i got the book and the book is only supplementary material, screw it. they're MY headcanons and I get to choose what parts of canon stay.
italicised dialogue is spoken in kraken. not 100% sure if italicising that was the best way to convey that, but it was less clunky-looking than what i had been doing before, at least.
The wind had picked up considerably since Monstrox had entered Castle Dragov that night. The rain now splattered against the stone walls, accompanied by the growling of thunder. Now done with his business, he stood in the entranceway of the castle with his golden staff clasped in his hands, sheltered from the rain at least. The pair of glowing yellow eyes he kept watch for were nowhere to be seen. He knew he had told Krakenskull that he wasn’t sure how long cursing the Dragov family would take, but he would have preferred to get out of the cold as soon as possible.
The panting of the Krakenbeast soon joined the cacophony of noise as it drew closer to the castle. Its yellow eyes pierced through the darkness, very clearly marking where it was. Monstrox straightened his back as the Krakenbeast approached.
From atop the Krakenbeast and wrapped in several blankets, Krakenskull said to Monstrox, “Apologies for taking so long. Riding in the dark is only a problem when it’s also raining.”
“Did you bring any extra blankets? I’m freezing to the bone here,” Monstrox asked.
“Of course I didn’t,” Krakenskull replied. “Now hop on.”
Monstrox sighed as he climbed onto the Krakenbeast. He had some trouble with it, since the Krakenbeast was drenched, but his earlier practice pulled him through. Once he was sitting tight on the Krakenbeast’s back, Krakenskull tugged on the Krakenbeast’s reins twice, and it began to run again.
The Krakenbeast ran for miles, exiting the forest and entering the plains of Knighton before the rain started to let up. It was only then did Krakenskull make conversation.
“So, now that you’ve gotten Count Dragov out of the picture, you’ll be declaring war soon?” Krakenskull asked Monstrox.
“Yeah. I just need to find a good time to announce it,” Monstrox replied.
Krakenskull hummed in thought for a moment before questioning, “Why don’t you… announce it when you get back…? This is war we’re talking about, there’s never a good time for it.”
“Because then it won’t be as memorable and dramatic!” Monstrox told him defensively. “Besides, I’ve got to make sure the rest of the Wizards’ Council doesn’t try to look for Dragov. I have to make them rest easy and not worry about him.”
“Fair point about the Council,” Krakenskull commented.
“…What about the drama of how I’m planning to declare war?”
“That’s ridiculous.”
The Krakenbeast ran though the wind and rain for miles. The scenery shifted from the open plains to the mountainous wastelands.
“Hey Krakenskull, the Golden Castle is the other way. The only thing in the Badlands is…” Monstrox paused and thought for a moment, trying to find the right words in Kraken. “…Mount Thunderstrox.”
“Correct,” Krakenskull replied. “I remembered an old legend about the mountain that was passed down to me, and I thought you’d be interested in it. But…” they paused for a moment before continuing, “Thun-der-strox is a very odd-sounding name for the mountain. You Knightons have such strange naming conventions.”
“Says the person whose name in translates from Kraken to English as Bone Head of the Sea Monster King! What do you call it in Kraken, then?”
“The Fallen Mountain of Lightning,” Krakenskull replied. “I know what you’re going to say: ‘Why is it called that?’ It’s part of the legend. Once we get to the Fallen Mountain of Lightning, I’ll share the legend with you.”
Monstrox groaned. “And you say I’m dramatic.”
There was no rain falling near Mount Thunderstrox. The mountain stood tall, barely visible against the dark, cloudy sky as a darker silhouette. The flashes of lightning near the flat peak illuminated it for brief moments at a time. The Krakenbeast was now standing still, looking around at its surroundings.
“Sooo… now that we’re here, are you going to tell me that legend?”Monstrox asked Krakenskull.
“I was getting there. Be patient,” Krakenskull chided. They cleared their throat, then said, “The legend goes that thousands of years ago, an angel watched over Kraken Country. When a great catastrophe swept the land, the angel saw all the injustices committed by those who only cared about themselves and became furious. The angel descended from the heavens and learned a dark magic to create a colossus capable of ravaging the land. She led the colossus on a destructive rampage through Kraken Country, and the destruction caused was her judgement for the injustices committed by the greedy few cast unto all. However, she couldn’t bring herself to finish the colossus’ rampage, so she led it out of Kraken Country and to the edge of Knighton. She drained the colossus of the magic she had created and fuelled it with, making it fall dormant and turn into a mountain. The ‘Fallen’ in the Fallen Mountain of Lightning refers to the colossus’ dormant state as well as the angel’s fall from grace.”
“That explains why you use such a weird version of ‘fallen’ when you say the Fallen Mountain of Lightning,” Monstrox commented.
“It’s not a form of ‘fallen’ that sees common use,” Krakenskull replied with a nod. “Before I met you, I thought the legend of the Fallen Mountain of Lightning was simply that, but now…” They reached forward to pat the Krakenbeast’s forehead, just above where the Forbidden Power of Petrifying Quake was embedded, as they finished, “…I think the legend may have some merit to it.”
“So if the legend is true…” Monstrox slid off the Krakenbeast’s back as he said, “… there’s a giant monster under the mountain that could single-handedly wipe out all of Knighton if I find a way to reawaken it?”
“Supposedly, yes. I only advise you use it as a last resort, since-”
Monstrox broke into a sprint as he yelled, “I’m going to go check it out!”
Eyes wide in shock, Krakenskull yelled after him, “Monstrox, wait!” They tugged at the Krakenbeast’s reins, ushering it to run after him.
Monstrox had barely reached the base of Mount Thunderstrox before he needed to stop to catch his breath. Seeing Monstrox come to a halt, Krakenskull pulled on the Krakenbeast’s reins. The Krakenbeast shifted to a canter, then came to a stop at in front of Monstrox.
Still panting, Monstrox looked up at Krakenskull, then at the path spiralling up the mountain. He looked back at Krakenskull as he asked, “Can you take me up there on the Krakenbeast?”
“No. You decided to head off by yourself, so you’ll be walking up the mountain on your own two legs.”
Monstrox groaned. He turned to face the path and cast some magic to create a ball of light in the space he would usually put a Forbidden Power. With his make-shift torch set, he began to trudge up the mountain path, Krakenskull riding the Krakenbeast behind him. The journey up the mountain took many hours - Monstrox’s short rest breaks included - and by the time they had reached the top, the clouds had cleared somewhat and the lightning had ceased.
The top of the mountain was even smoother than it looked from down below. There were a few rocks scattered about, but other than that, it was just as flat as the Badlands itself. Offset from the center of the mountaintop was a circle of ten tall pillars made of stones stacked on one another. A slab rested in the middle of the circle the pillars made.
“What’s that over there?”Monstrox asked Krakenskull, pointing to the circle with his free hand.
Krakenskull thought for a moment before replying, “I don’t know. The legend doesn’t mention anything like this.”
Monstrox walked over to the circle, and Krakenskull followed him atop the Krakenbeast. Once they both reached the slab in the middle of the circle, Krakenskull slid off the Krakenbeast as Monstrox lifted himself up onto the slab. Krakenskull followed suit with much less effort.
“Look at these carvings!” Monstrox said, shining his staff’s light onto the pillars. He turned his head to Krakenskull as he asked, “Do you think the angel from that legend did these?”
“I can’t say,” Krakenskull replied. “It’s likely, though.”
Monstrox walked up to one pillar and looked up at it. The curved lines stretched up the stacked stones and formed the shape of an upside down shield at the top. “Hey Krakenskull, look! These carvings make the same shape as the Forbidden Powers at the top! What do you think it means?”
Krakenskull narrowed his eyes at the carving Monstrox stood before. “A coincidence, probably.”
Monstrox went around the circle, getting a good look at the carvings on each pillar. All were ornate, and while they each had a different design, they followed the same aesthetic. He then made his way over to the center of the slab, where Krakenskull where already standing.
A deep hole sat in the center of the slab. It wasn’t a particularly wide hole, but it more than made up for that by being extremely deep. So deep, in fact, that the light from Monstrox’s staff couldn’t reach the bottom… wherever that was.
“…So why do you think there’s a hole here?” Monstrox asked.
Krakenskull growled, “For the love of the Sea Monster King, Monstrox, do I look like I know everything? I was trying to figure that out myself!”
The two of them stood in thought for a minute, staring into the hole. An idea then popped into Monstrox’s mind, and he said, “What if it’s how the angel put dark magic into it?”
Krakenskull’s gaze shifted to Monstrox as he let out a short inquisitive hum.
“The colossus that’s said to be under this mountain - what if this hole is what the angel used to put dark magic into it to power it?”Monstrox elaborated.
“That actually makes sense,” Krakenskull said, glancing back at the hole.
“Maybe…” Monstrox looked at the lines etched into the rings surrounding the hole. “If I filled the hole up, then put a lock-like thing over it… then make some adjustments to my staff… I think it would be possible! I’d be able to transfer the Forbidden Powers into the mountain! That’s how I’d be able to reawaken the colossus!”
“A good theory, but it sounds like a lot of work,” Krakenskull said. “With how much you complained going up the mountain, are you sure you’d be up for the task?”
“I’d just get your army to do it!”
Krakenskull narrowed his eyes. “Only if they get paid.”
“With what? Food? Shelter? The knowledge that they’ll be helping the greatest evil necromancer there ever was?”
“With gold, idiot.”
The excitement on Monstrox’s face instantly vanished. “Oh.”
“Besides, what if something happens to them and they all disappear? Who would you turn to then?” Krakenskull asked.
“Uh…” Monstrox placed a hand to his chin and glanced at the hole as he thought.
“Think about the alternatives. We have no plans to stay in Knighton indefinitely.”
Monstrox looked up at the sky - it was getting lighter. “We should get going. I don’t suppose you’d let me ride on the Krakenbeast on the way down the mountain?” He gave Krakenskull a wide smile.
“Only so you won’t complain like you did on the way up,” Krakenskull replied.