• Long ago, in another world, completely different from ours, there lived a young Prince. The world was known as Zuldala. The province of Dalanar was a peaceful one, ruled by a benevolent king, Tristan and his wife Melissa. Everything was peaceful until a prophet cast a dire prophecy on the king and his wife. Melissa was 7 months pregnant with her first child. The prophet stated that the child would bring the downfall of the kingdom, and if not prevented the world. Naturally, Tristan shrugged the prophecy off as simple superstition.
    Three months later, the prince of Dalanar was born, Prince Joseph. As a child, the young boy was happy, living a sheltered life, away from the rest of the world. Shortly after Joseph turned seventeen his father declared war on the neighboring kingdom of Khroanos. Joseph was thrust into the war, and became one of the leading generals in the war. Soon after one of Joseph’s successful campaigns, his father passed away of old age. Joseph was immediately thrust into the position of the king of Dalanar. He began his reign as king, by drafting every able bodied male into the army, creating the largest military force that the world had seen up to that point. Joseph began to move throughout the world, building the empire of Dalanar.
    One day, a warlock came to him with a proposition. Joseph’s army had just lost a large battle to a group of dwarves that had holed themselves up in a mountain. The warlock offered Joseph a way to destroy all opposition. The eager leader easily took up the warlock on his offer. The warlock presented the young king with a sword. The sword pulsated with demonic energy. It was called the Fang of the Leviathan.
    With his new blade, Joseph progressed through the world, conquering and creating slavery, death and corruption. In the small province of Aboraz, a group of mages decided to seal away the cruel emperor once and for all. The mages set out and confronted the king when he was at his weakest, when his heir was being born. The mages cast powerful magic, sealing the cruel king away forever.
    That was 30 years ago. The world has slowly progressed back to its former state. The world has changed from groups of powerful kingdoms, to small provinces, ruled by a governing state. This is where our story begins…


    “Tobias! Tobias wake your lazy a** up!” shouted a young woman. In a small field of grass, a young man, seventeen, lay dozing. The woman walked up to the teen and swung her leg back and then forward, giving the Tobias a nice hard kick in the ribs.

    “OW!” Tobias shouted as he shot up, rubbing his bruised chest as he stood up. He glared at the young woman as he rose from his comfortable position. “What do you want Rose?” he said as he stretched, joints cracking.

    “Thomas is calling for you, you’re late for your lesson.” Said Rose with a smirk. Tobias’s eyes widened as he sprinted off. Over his shoulder he shouted, “I’ll get back for that kick later!”

    “I’m sure you will!” Rose shouted back with a grin.


    Tobias sprinted down the small trade road that led into the small town of Eastvale. It was a small logging village. As he entered the village he could see the older men carrying the logs throughout the town, getting them ready for shipment. He cursed to himself as he sped up, his legs pumping. He skidded to a stop on the loose dirt, banging into a small house on the perimeter of the village. He looked around the dark interior, the room only lit by four candles.

    “Thomas?” Tobias asked as he walked around the room. Behind him the door slammed shut. A feminine shriek passed through Tobias’s lips as he turned around. At the door was a man, tall, but not muscular. He wore a black tunic, and brown pants, the buttons on the tunic painted gold. Behind him a long cape fluttered near his feet.

    “You’re late. Dozing off again MISS?” Thomas asked.

    Tobias blushed furiously as he sat down at the table. “Yeah, sorry...and it’s not my fault you scared me.”

    “Actually, yes it is, if you hadn’t been late, I wouldn’t have had to scare you. Get up, were doing class outside today.” Said Thomas as he opened the door.

    “Outside, why?”

    “You can’t very well practice magic inside can you?” said Thomas with a smile. Immediately Tobias’s eyes widened.

    “Magic? Are you serious?” asked the skeptical teen.

    “Do you want to learn or not?” asked Thomas. Tobias eagerly nodded and rushed out the door. The mage chuckled and closed the door behind him.


    “The secret to magic is connection to what you are trying to channel.” Said Thomas as he sat cross-legged on the cool grass outside the village. Tobias sat next to him, unable to keep himself still.

    “Alright, but how will that help me cast offensive magic?” Tobias asked.

    “Simple,” said Thomas as he pulled a piece of flint and tinder out of a bag from behind him. He quickly created a spark and began to influence the flame with his hands. The small flame darted through eh air, being controlled by Thomas’s subtle wrist movements. Thomas thrust his hand forward, and the flam collided with a tree, leaving a small scorch mark where the flame was extinguished.

    “Imagine doing that with a larger flame, such as one that was sent at you from the mouth of a dragon, or from a torch. Once you understand the source of the magic, you can do it.” Said Thomas as he raised his hands. Fallen leaves on the ground fluttered to life, becoming small leaf sprites and began to run around Tobias playfully.

    “Wow.” Said the teen as Thomas dismissed the sprites. “So if I learn about the source, I can use anything?”

    “Yes…to an extent.” Replied the mage.

    “What do you mean, to an extent?”

    “Well, there are something’s that cannot be controlled, the sun, and the moon, dark, light.”

    “What about people’s emotions.” Asked Tobias, curious.

    Thomas immediately looked Tobias in the eye. “You must promise, me, no matter how powerful you become, to never use these powers to control others. That is the kind of power that created people like Joseph.”

    Tobias’s eyes widened. “Yes sir!”


    Tobias continued to train, in his magic skills, slowly becoming adept, and after a few months, becoming the second best mage in the village after Thomas. As the clouds rolled over the dark sky, the people of the small village progressed back into their homes. The sky was darkened and it began to rain. The heavens tears pelted the earth, drowning out all other sounds. Thomas sat at his desk in his study, sipping at a cup of tea. Behind him, his door slammed open, the wind pushing it open. The mage stood, and walked over to the door.

    “Damn hinges, I’ll need to call over Rusl to have these fixed.” He said as he turned around, the door closed.

    “The hinges aren’t the thing you should be worrying about.” Said a voice from a dark corner of the room. Thomas immediately stood and fired a bolt of fire at the source of the voice. Only to have it scorch the corner wall.

    “Who the hell are you?” Thomas asked, his right hand cackling with energy. From behind him the voice came again.

    “Oh you know Thomas. I’m hurt that you don’t remember… After all you and the other mages did seal me away thirty years ago.”

    Thomas’s eyes widened as a sword was plunged through his stomach. “Damn…you…Joseph…”


    Tobias ran through the cold rain. He had his spell book at Thomas’s house. He sprinted through the town. He turned a corner and ran towards Thomas’s house. He ran to the front door and stopped, realizing that the door was open. It was dark inside. As Tobias walked in he created a small flame in his hand. He shot four small flames out, lighting four small torches. As the room was brightened, he saw his master, on the floor, bleeding profusely.

    “Teacher!” Tobias shouted as he kneeled next to the man. He held his hands out and began to channel healing magic into the man.

    “Tobias…Don’t bother…”said Thomas as he couched blood into his hands.

    “But…!”

    “No…you need to hear what I have to say. I have been training you for thirteen years, since you lost your parents to the disease that swept the continent all those years ago. Ever since then, I have thought of you as my son. I gladly accept you into the Proudmoore family. Secondly…” Thomas said, before having another coughing spill. “You need to leave this town. Joseph his back…and he plans on taking over the world, again. Get Rose to go with you, take this.” Said Thomas weakly as he handed Tobias a letter.

    “What is it?” the teen asked, tears flowing from his eyes.

    “It is a letter to a dear friend of mine, you will need his help to find out how to defeat Joseph…” said the mage before he closed his eyes. Tobias sat next to him, too shocked for words. Slowly his silence turned into sobs, and from sobs into wails, his cries muffled by the rain.


    “Rose. We need to leave. Thomas was killed last night.” Said Tobias as he walked up to his friend. Tobias was dressed in a red tunic, with white borders and a simple pair of red pants. On his feet he wore a simple pair of black boots, and on his hands he has a pair of black gauntlets. The rapier at his side was shielded from view by the long red cape that flowed behind him. On his head he wore a wide brimmed bard’s hat, which had a simple white feather sticking up from the left side, covering his short messy brown hair. At 6’1, he stood four inches over Rose, who stood at 5’7”.

    “Why, why do we need to go?” the young woman asked, standing up.

    “It was Thomas’s death wish, for us to leave the village and find his friend.”

    The woman looked up at Tobias and smiled solemnly. Rose wasn’t a magic user, and thus she hadn’t had known Thomas very well. She stood and hugged Tobias softly.

    “Alright, I’ll go tell my grandmother.” She said as she walked away. Roughly an hour passed until she arrived back. She wore a brown turtleneck that had the sleeves cut off, and black shorts that fell just past her knees. She has a fingerless glove on each hand, and had a headband, keeping her shoulder length blonde hair out of her eyes. A large claymore was strapped on her back, and at her thigh, she had a small dagger sheathed.

    Tobias stood, picking up his staff and turning. The two quickly reached the borer to their small village and they looked back. Tobias smiled fondly on the memories he had of his home, before turning. Rose looked back and quickly followed Tobias, sending a quick glance back at the village.

    “Tobias.”

    “Yes?”

    “When do you think we’re going to be back?” asked Rose.

    “As soon as Joseph is dead.”

    “Joseph, as in Dark Lord Joseph?”

    “Yes.”

    “He’s been dead for thirty years, they sealed him away!”

    “He broke the seal, he was the one who killed Thomas. In the name of the Proudmoore family, I will get my revenge.” Said Tobias as he clenched his hand into a fist. “Joseph WILL Die.”