Prologue

In this world there was light and there was dark; two sides of the same coin that also reflected the hearts of men. The dark was without form causing tragedy for humans as it would forever rage against the light of peace with all its being. It was meant to forever rage, refusing to give into a quiet night. It was so determined to never sleep that it began conjuring twisted beings in forms that were never consistent, for the dark was chaotic. These twisted beings, while causing tragedy, were also able to twist men’s hearts towards madness.

The light, a being that represented peace and understanding was also a being without form. However, the actions of its counterpart were so appalling that it felt that it had no other choice but to rise against the darkness. It met the forces of the dark with fire and iron. The light summoned four great kings, blessing them with great and powerful hearts that were supposed to withstand the dark. The four kings bickered at first as they were from rivaling nations, but the formless entity known as the light explained that the dark would consume their nations along with the world if they didn’t put their squabbles behind them. Eventually, they all agreed to an alliance, and so they each took to their kingdoms to begin raising great armies for this challenge of the dark that they would inevitably face. They knew failing was not an option as they would be the ones to light up the way to man’s salvation. However, in this world, misfortune is more than abundant even for heroes, and even more so for the ones that withstand the tide of battle.

The kings spent one year preparing for this and it was a year well spent for when the Great War began it would be something to test their metal. Both sides (light and dark) clashed violently against each other and threw everything they had at each other, giving no quarry to the other. Countless men lost their lives and families in conflict. There was no concept of mercy or innocence for the collateral became the bedrock for this war. The four kings suffered abundant losses, but still pressed on in this war against the dark while consistently leading their armies with new found veracity to match if not surpass that of their enemy. Their minds laid with those whom they had lost as the memories of the mangled corpses of their women and children that they’ll never get to hold again prospered. However, there was no such thing as a one-sided war as life was quenched by the conflict on both sides. Despite this, they marched on as they all should. After years of slaughter and loss and after years of men cradling the lost ones they held so dear, it seemed that the kings were finally pressing the advantage.

The kings and their combined strength had finally pushed the dark into a desperate corner. Feeling as though it was going to be suffocated by the light, the dark commenced in action and took form for the first time in that of an arch-dragon. This beast was most foul indeed, as it possessed four terrible eyes, each one ever changing in color, huge decrepit wings that seemed to cover the sky itself, and scales as rough as diamonds. The creature’s scales were black and represented the abyss itself in which a simple gaze at its dark features would break normal men for when you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back.

The beast spawned more of its kin in various forms from the tip of its wings as if they were water dripping from an icicle. It also possessed an incredibly nasty maw with teeth that were covered in a viscous poison, and with a breath that could rot a man’s flesh right down to the bone. This was a creature of such godly power that the kings who held the offensive for years were for the first time being pushed back. They tried the best they could but their weapons of steel did little to affect the beast. The arch-dragon had a special hide made of something unearthly. The more ground that was lost, the more desperate the kings became to regain their ground. With the four of them losing in their fight to keep light alive, they were now pressed into a corner and for the first time since this conflict began, they began praying to their light of salvation before they were overcome by the vile dark beast before them.

The light answered their prayers and bestowed them with unique blessings giving each one of them a power that could be used to turn the tide of battle. The first of the four blessings was one known as Sky which allowed one of the kings to conjure lightning from nothing, call upon thunderstorms, and hurl bolts of lightning from the heavens. These feats made the king earn the title of “The Thunder”. This blessing would give birth to priests for it was faith that brought about blessing in the first place. The second blessing was known as Sorcery. This was a blessing that allowed one to conjure powerful projectiles from one’s soul and harden these projectiles into sturdy crystals along with allowing the construction of golems to bolster the armies of the kings to fight against the darkness. The title bestowed upon this king was “The Sage” for he also gained foresight and would later be the reason for why sorcerers and witches alike came into existence. The third blessing was Fire which was a piece of the light itself that allowed the king to conjure powerful infernos, and form weapons from the powerful element from seemingly nothing. The king would earn the title of “Old Fire” and “Lord of Smithing” as the blessing would give birth to blacksmiths and pyromancers. This last blessing would be a gift that was seemingly something that was unexpected, as ever still. The previous blessings of the three kings were indeed powerful but they still had their doubts, so the final blessing was not of an element or something grand, but seemingly the most powerful. This blessing was called Courage, earning the last king the title of “The Great Leader” for his words were filled with such confidence and charisma that he served to inspire his brothers in arms and even reinvigorated their spirits.

The kings rallied up their army and pressed on once again, pushing their armies and their hearts to the max in order to stand against the arch-dragon and its twisted kin. What followed next when the battle commenced was something so incredible that it can only be described as world changing. The roars of men and monsters filled the heavens. They charged against insurmountable odds, pushing themselves to the limit as their weapons of enhanced steel met the flesh of the twisted spawn while other men were ripped apart by creatures of darkness. Others were being burned to a crisp by the lesser dragons, and the worst off of all the men were having their insides consumed while they were still breathing. Nevertheless, the battle raged on as the blood of the two forces coated the battlefield in a thick and sticky red substance that came from the sheer amount of absolute slaughter that occurred.

The battle reached its climax as both sides exhausted their forces, leaving the kings to face the arch-dragon themselves. Sensing the power and danger that these Lords held, the creature released a bellowing screech as its skin bubbled and violently exploded releasing blood and black puss. It now subsequently grew three additional heads now all facing the kings. It was as if they were now fighting a hydra.

The Lords tightened their grips on their weapons as “The Great Leader” let out a mighty battle cry leading the charge. The great beast roared as they fought. The battle that took place between them was truly something of legend. The one leading the charge held the beast at bay for as long as possible, fending off the heads of the creature that propelled at his comrades. The leader left massive gashes and many deep cuts evidently noticeable upon their massive heads. Being the main source of defense, he put all his power into striving for the survival of the rest of humanity.

The other three Lords saw The Great Leader’s conviction in action as he became the embodiment of defense, and so, to match their fearless brother, they put all their powers into action. Moments passed as bolts of lighting and rain fell from the sky as a great storm was forming. Chunks of ground that were struck by this mighty power erupted in a violent explosion absolutely decimating the land. Crystals from the Sage sprung out from the ground in an attempt to hold the beast down, and a barrage of violent balls made of sacred fire were unleashed from the other king.

The dragon was hurt by their attacks, but refused to give in. With the four Lords leaping towards the massive beast, its many heads opened their mouths showing the nasty maw that was within and letting out a bellowing roar. The battle was long and arduous, lasting eight days and seven nights. Everyday a head was taken, and one by one all the way until the final day, the Lords were becoming battered and worn down with the beast being brutally beaten down as well. At this point, one of the beast’s arms and one of its wings were completely severed. The dragon that had contested the lords worried not as it had an ace up its sleeve, but it would need time.

The lords finally put down the beast, with each one plunging their weapons into the beasts’ head. The four lords began to bind the creature in place. The Sage then used his blessing to open up the earth underneath the beast, releasing it deep into the ground before having it close shut. They were convinced that their job was done. The kings parted after this battle and began to construct their own lands in a cardinal direction, each one based on their individual blessings. These four pillars of power were known as Fortis Gelu which was a kingdom of the South, Fidelis Regnum which was a kingdom in the West, Prosperum Ignis which resided in the East, and Arcanum Verba which was a kingdom in the North.

Many years would pass as the four rulers set their sights on restoring the damage that had been caused by the Great War. However, they had not the foresight for the new race called the Dark Hearts-people whose hearts were made from the darkness after the war. They all possessed black eyes, dark hair, and hands as dark as the abyss itself. Three of the four Kings wished for a genocide upon this innocent race, however, before the last King could make his mind up on the matter (The Great Leader was yet to propose his opinion on the matter) the Dark Hearts offered up their princess as a way to barter for their lives. The Great Leader was captivated by her for her skin was magnificently flawless. Also, unlike her kin who held black eyes, hers were a soul-piercing blue, and her hair was blonde with hints of black emulsification involved as well.

The Great Leader accepted their offer and held a massive wedding in the land of Fortis Gelu which he ruled over. After that, the queen soon gave birth to a son to carry on his legacy. After the son was born, the future looked bright and prosperous for the kingdom.

However, in this world there’s no such thing as a happy ending...