Chapter Text
No one is sure when or under what circumstances people first started talking about either of the two men. It is known that they both built their reputations over the years. They were both interesting subjects to talk about, since both had many battles and victories under their belt, and rumors about them spread all over the world. Interestingly, at first they were not connected to each other in any way. One of them -Solon- has been known for quite a while. Legends about his obsidian wings and golden hair were known to almost everyone, from young children to old people on the verge of death. His merits and skills on countless battlefields have been praised on every occasion, numerous titles awarded to him along with the new victories he had led to. People called him variously, often giving him the names of the gods to whom they prayed, believing that one of them honored this world with his presence. In his figure, they saw Apollo, the god of life and death, beauty and light; Hermes, the god of travelers, the winged messenger and the one who led the dead back to Hades; Zeus, the father of the gods; and Athena, the goddess of wisdom and just war, and sometimes her brother - Ares, the god of war. Solon was also known for titles such as Warrior of Heaven, Angel of Death, or The Death’s Messenger, and others, less common. He sowed fear and terror in the hearts of his enemies, respect and admiration in the hearts of his allies. Undefeated in battle, desired in his ranks by rulers and generals. It cannot be denied that people considered him a living legend. There were many theories about where this mysterious, winged traveler came from, who joined the wars he encountered and took the losing side to ensure his victory. But despite this, none of the theories ever proved the truth, no one knew where he came from, what his purpose was, and why he had never yet accepted any of the many offers of staying in some kingdom with provided wealth and equal treatment to the royal family. Whatever people would offer him in return for his help, he was still a modest but free man, hiding many secrets.
Contrary to appearances, he was not the only invincible fighter with such a pattern of behavior. There was one more such person. A young man who became famous in a surprisingly fast pace thanks to his skills. Extremely brutal but effective on the battlefield, supposedly unmerciful and killing with ease. The description of his pink hair and royal robes, combined with bloodthirsty eyes and a disturbing skull worn over his face, made many shiver in fear. In just a few years, he gained many new nicknames among people. Following the example of Solon, he also began to be associated with the gods. With Zeus, the ruler of all gods and the god of thunder; Hades, god of the underworld and the dead; Ares, god of war, patron of destruction and cruelty as well as Athena, goddess of wisdom and just war; and Artemis, goddess of hunting, animals and forests, and goddess of death. Some of his other nicknames are: The Blood God, The Beast of Hell, The Warrior of Underground, The Hellhound, The Bloodthirsty Pig, The Skull King and of course many others. Theron - because that was his name - was often compared to a beast, a monster or an animal chasing the scent of blood. But the worst part was that he was the intelligent beast. Once someone became a victim of it, there was no way that person could escape, no matter how hard they tried. He was always one step ahead of everyone, always having a back-up plan, always analyzing and ready for adversity. But like Solon, he never stayed in one place for long. He traveled all over the world, often joining wars and battles along the way, building his reputation as an extraordinary mercenary, but never tempted by the luxuries of living in the castle of any ruler he had helped.
Ever since the world heard about Theron, the legends of the two have coexisted among people, but never connected. But over time, the people began to theorize. What if two undefeated warriors stood on opposite sides of the war? Who would have won - the older and more experienced Solon, or the younger, if not the more dangerous and bloodthirsty Theron? They both had many wins on their accounts. Both had hundreds or thousands of lives on their conscience. Which of them would lose the title of undefeated? People wondered, so they talked and gossiped. For some reason, however, they were afraid to talk about it out loud - as if they were afraid that the topics of their conversations would hear them and send the wrath of the gods on them. But despite this, the whispers always continued. There was not a moment when even one person did not speak in a low tone about what would happen if two of the most mysterious and powerful men met and fought.
However, even if some daredevil would dare to try to arrange such a meeting, it would still not be possible. Because, the thing is, no one ever knew where any of them were at the moment. They were both still traveling, and there was no option for ordinary people to know where they were going or where they were. They would reveal themselves only during the battles they had joined. For this reason, some did not even believe that someone like them existed. Such unbelievers believed that all these legends were created to make excuses about the unimaginable victory of a weaker kingdom, and to make people think that it was their homeland that was chosen and protected by a divine messenger. There weren't many such people, but they still existed and did not believe that Solon and Theron existed until they met them live. However, there were also people on the opposite side. People who founded cults and religions that glorified those warriors. People who considered them true gods and who prayed to them and those who made sacrifices to them.
Years later, to people's surprise, it was precisely those two living legends that really met. No one knew where or under what circumstances, but it was certain that from then on, if they were seen anywhere, they would accompany each other in most cases. It even seems that some were shocked by the fact that the warriors did not throw themselves at each other's throats to see who would turn out to be the stronger, but on the contrary, appeared to be allies or even friends. Since then, any legend that mentioned one must have mentioned the other at least once as well. It was an amazing duo. Two invincible gods in barely human bodies, friends that complement each other, but also warriors thirsty for blood. But even after so many years, still no one really knew too much about them. Still, after all, they were as private and mysterious to the world as they could, and ordinary people had to come to terms with it. Because what else was left for them to do? After all, no one could defeat those two or force them to do anything, maybe except the gods themselves.
It is not known exactly how much time has passed since the years of their glory, but until that day the main sources of knowledge about them were only old records and historical books and legends passing down from generation to generation. Most people think that if these warriors really existed, they have long since died, because how could someone live hundreds or thousands of years? Even so, on average, every few decades there were rumors that they had returned and appeared in some place or battle. Is it true? Who knows.
The legends are interesting. It's hard to believe how much people can transform them and how many lies are involved in them. And it’s even more interesting what the future can bring, isn’t it?