Prologue
A black veil was draped over a sky dotted with pin holes, allowing starlight to rain down on the silent ocean below. The still and frigid air hung in glistening moonlight. A small fleet of ships quietly drifted over the water—ships that had sought out death and met her embrace. Now they returned with a lighter load. This fleet had seen a fearsome battle with bloodied and blackened scars as proof. At the bow of the leading warship, the Dinistr Fawr, one figure approached another, standing outlined against the light of the moon and stars.
“My Emperor, you mustn’t stand out here in this chill. You led us into a grand vict—”
“Grand?!” a shrill voice spat out, interrupting the approaching figure. The standing figure turned towards the shrinking steward, the moonlight revealing abject scorn written upon the emperor’s face.
“We come back empty-handed, and you call it grand?” the emperor continued.
The steward stepped back as the emperor towered over him, but the steward needed to check on him after all the rage that had been unleashed earlier, all the carnage. He needed to know if what he had seen earlier could possibly resurface.
He tried again. “Their cries and shrieks echoed across the water. Everyone will know what happened. Your dominion over this land cannot be challenged after such a displ—"
“Quiet,” the emperor said bluntly, interrupting the steward once again and holding up a bony finger, pointing the man’s gaze in a westerly direction. The steward stepped to one side to see what the emperor had spied. Up ahead was a small fishing boat, an iridescent figure standing at the bow. The emperor’s violet eyes were wide at the sight.
On the lone fishing boat, a figure wearing immaculate silver and jewel-encrusted armour stepped forward. The shining figure drew a large, gleaming claymore sword, and as it was unsheathed, a loud, deep chime rang out over the calm water, causing a ripple to emanate from the small ship. The sword beamed an unnaturally intense white light, from which the emperor shielded his face. His dry grey skin cracked as he winced at it. Lowering his arm, a panicked expression spread across his face.
“All soldiers! Battle stations!” the emperor cried, his eyes not leaving the shining target.
“Your grace?” the steward said, frowning. “It’s a fishing ship with a lantern.”
The emperor turned towards the steward with rage the man had feared would return.
“GO! NOW!” the emperor roared before snapping his gaze back to the lone ship.
Concerned, the steward hastily scuttled below deck.
“All hands, on deck! All hands, on deck!” the steward bellowed as he rushed to the ship’s wheel. He uncovered a bell and began sounding it loudly, the harsh ring piercing the once-still night. Within a few moments, the fleet started to come to life.
With unblinking eyes, the emperor watched as the armoured figure, standing right on the edge of the small fishing vessel, pointed the tip of the claymore toward the warships before plunging it downwards, as though to stab the deep blue below. The water on either side of the fishing boat launched up with an unnatural force as two large waves rose from the depths. The same chime from earlier rang again but sharpened as the water ascended into two gigantic waves. The chime’s pitch rose until the sound was so high that it could no longer be heard, and at that point, when silence dominated, monstrous twin tidal waves surged towards the ships. Soldiers, donning red plate armour, encrusted with crimson sand, spilled onto the decks, but were met with a crushing blow as the waves tossed ships violently aside, thrusting the soldiers beneath the waves. As the waves approached the Dinistr Fawr, the emperor threw his arms up like a guard, purple light emanating from his hands, and the cascading wave split, sparing only the Dinistr Fawr. Sea water still managed to coat the deck lightly, and the now-soaked steward looked up to see the emperor planted firmly in place.
Surrounded by silent keels, the emperor snarled and scoffed, baring his jagged teeth at the armoured figure across the waves.
“He … he USED IT! Their KEY! Not only did they USE their key, but it worked!” The emperor began to shake in anger. He clenched his fist; his nails punctured his skin, causing blood to burst through and collect in his palm.
“This all could have been avoided!” The emperor yelled, throwing his voice over the swell, his arms outstretched. “But now you muster all you’re worth to stop me!? You better hope that key returned to the vault you seized it from!” His chest expanded and collapsed rapidly as his breathing became more intense. “No matter! I’ll either rip it from your bloated corpse, or your family’s!” For a moment, the emperor let his blood boil. The steward hurried below deck, fearing what was to happen.
With his arms outstretched, the emperor flattened his bloody palms. He then flourished his hands in a circular pattern around him, causing ghostly purple sparks to burst into existence and float in the air. He collected the purple light within his hands, and then threw them upwards. Clouds quickly and unnaturally gathered, and a violent storm erupted above him, rain drenching the emperor and the deck he stood upon. A crooked smile appeared on his face; this storm gave him control over the waters he sailed upon. He launched his hands forward, as if to grab the small ship off in the distance and pull it towards him. The emperor’s ship began to thrust forward, the emperor looming over the bow, breathing heavily as it briskly approached the lone ship.
The armoured figure sheathed its sword, and launched itself, just as the Dinistr Fawr was about to obliterate the diminutive fishing ship, landing gracefully on the bow of the Dinistr Fawr, right in front of the emperor. The small fishing ship shattered into wooden splinters strewn among the waves nearby.
“A nice new set of clothes you seem to have acquired, Your Majesty,” the emperor said, stepping back and bowing mockingly. As he lifted his head, he revealed his sinister grin. “You wish to fight as equals? Give me the key, and we shall see what I am deemed worthy of.” He extended his hand and bony fingers outwards; blood had soaked into the creases of his hand.
“You know why you were denied!” roared a mighty voice from beneath the helmet. “Your intent was sinister, and yet you still went to Dizstrum and were rightfully denied their key as well!”
“I doubt they even had one in the first place, the way they fled,” the emperor barked. “If they truly possessed one of the keys, they wouldn’t have died like cowards.”
“Their screams could be heard across the land! You have cemented your place as a cruel and villainous worm! You are worthy of NOTHING!” The voice rang out from the shining helmet, echoing with the rain that was ringing against the shining armour.
“This isn’t you, Kor! This isn’t the Kor I know.” The armoured figure shook his head. “Something has you. I don’t know what, but … Kor, I did not use Alitiar’s key lightly.”
“You know nothing of me,” the emperor said, his voice seeming layered with another that was not his own.
“You really slaughtered them, didn’t you?” said the armoured figure, stepping back a pace. “You are not the man we thought you were, the one we trusted, the one we thought could help settle these disputes that split our lands. The one we … the one I loved.” The figure shook his head in disbelief, his helmet heavy as with a great burden.
“You’ve brought this on yourself, old friend,” he continued. “You made me don this armour, and you can’t be allowed back into our halls. Ever. As the heir to the throne of Alitiar, I relieve you, Kor-Thiliath, of your duties.”
“Relief is found only through death,” the emperor grumbled.
“So, you remember that part of our oath after all. I will remember you as you were when you took it, and not as the beast you have become.” As the armoured figure said this, he drew the giant blade once more, the chiming of it rattling the water-soaked air.
The emperor pushed his open hands downward, and spectral rapiers materialized, casting a purple glow. The two figures sprang towards each other as the enchanted storm raged above them. Rain battered the deck as the champions engaged in fevered battle. The armoured figure dealt precise cuts through the air, creating mist as he carved the blade through the water, only narrowly missing the emperor. The emperor nimbly dodged and slashed ferociously, swinging wildly. With each blow dealt, sparks flew and the sound of metal on metal resonated over the ocean. The armoured figure allowed the emperor to gain the upper hand briefly, knowing his armour was impenetrable to those spectral blades. The emperor sidestepped a swing, believing he had an opportunity to strike under his opponent’s arm. The armoured figure, with seemingly improbably speed considering his thick and heavy armour, swung upward and sliced off the emperor’s left arm. The emperor fell back, clutching his shoulder. A thud could be heard as his dismembered limb found the deck nearby.
“Come on, fool, finish me off then,” he said, blood gushing down his dark cloak. “You’ve clearly toyed with me as long as you deem necessary.” He squeezed the fleshy stump at his shoulder, letting out a quiet groan as thick blood oozed through his fingers.
“You came here just for me,” the emperor chuckled, humorously. “That armour, that weapon…. It’s all for me?”
The armoured figure lifted the claymore high, light still brimming from every surface. As he brought it down, the emperor sprang forward, shrieking, his eyes wild and teeth bare. Both were engulfed in a blinding light, and the ship where they once stood erupted and shattered. The conjured storm subsided, debris settled, and reflected stars returned to swim atop the soft waves of the ocean. Chunks of the ships lay scattered, lifeless. Peaceful it may have seemed, but peace was not to follow.
