The Kingdom of Lione

Chapter 1

Once upon a time long, long ago in a time where beasts and spirits existed there was a continent known as Arlenta. It was comprised of four kingdoms: Weldon - also known as dwarf country, Bestion - where the beast people lived, Voldaar - home to the elves, nymphs and other spirits alike and finally the kingdom of Lione - home to the most resilient race of all: humans. Outside of Arlenta also existed Luna and Nol - a sub-territory of Luwna - the kingdom of demons and ghouls and where the worst criminals were sent. It was common knowledge amongst the Arlentians that the darkness surrounding the kingdom of Luwna was very real and not to be taken lightly. Though their small kingdom of Luwna dwindled in size compared to all of Arlenta, no one dared rage war, because of the Demon King. A monster that could turn you to stone if he so wished. A beast who had wreaked havoc once before in Lione only to disappear then reappear with a kingdom of his own. His name struck fear into the hearts of all citizens that it was quickly erased from history leaving only "The Demon King" in all translations of any accounts of him. Information on him was hard to come by as his very name was considered a curse in it of itself. However, the true story behind what came to be known as "The Dark Night" is not as sinister as those books will tell you; and so, our story begins long, long ago.

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In the sultry depths of the Raileen Forest a young lady collecting herbs stumbled upon what she assumed to be a young traveller. The fog hindered her vision but, she could make out his tall, well-built, yet slender frame and long black hair that gently fell from his head to his waist. Standing beneath a willow tree, surrounded by bluebells the air around this man seemed to freeze and time in that moment stood still. One word came to mind "Beautiful." The young lady let out in a small inaudible whisper. The man shifted his head towards his right shoulder looking down slightly, she had been heard, and a deafening silence filled the forest around her. Upon the realization that she had been heard, flustered she semi-shouted, "I am sorry I did not mean to...I mean I was not following you I was on my way back and I accidentally, what I mean is...I am not a stalker or anything. I am sorry you were just stood there so beautifully I did not mean to interrupt. I am sorry I-"

"Name." A deep grumbling voice. It was cold but gentle. As though a thin sheet of ice left his lips.

"Sorry?" She blinked, almost audibly, at the shock at the contrast in his appearance to his voice. She wasn't expecting much, or rather she didn't know what to expect but the bass in his voice certainly wasn't it. The deafening silence continued; the fog slowly lifted as the tall figure of a man slowly turned around. A sharp hollow exhale escaped the young lady's lips almost taking her soul with it upon seeing his face. "Luna" she spoke as though entranced by the sheer beauty that was the man before her. His dark skin iridescent as the clouds broke perfectly over him allowing the sun to perfectly shower him with its light. As if the stage had been set for him and him alone, even nature unconsciously favoured him. The sunlight bounced off his hair revealing the subtle navy shades within his black hair, that invited stars into them. His defined facial features resembled that of a feline and though his plump lips were not to be ignored the most defining feature on the ethereal being before her were his eyes. They peered straight into her, unravelling every part of her without consent. She felt as if he knew everything about her, as if he had in that moment, learnt her deepest desires, her darkest secrets and her truest thoughts. Golden, no, gold paled in comparison to his eyes which silently dominated her. She felt completely naked before this man. His irises seemed to shift and catch the light on their own. Almost as if to prove that this stage of life had been set for him, a gentle breeze stroked his hair finely across his face, but he never stopped his gaze. If anything, it intensified. Digging deeper into her very core. Discovering new futures within her. She was frozen in awe, wonder and fear. How could someone command so much respect from even the atmosphere itself. She knew not his name, she only knew one thing: if gods truly existed, he was one of them.