The Lands of Ralosia & Ranuulo (Books 1-3)

Lunahreim's Travels Chapter 5- Power of a God

~Chapter 5- Power of a God~

         Lunahreim walked through a forest of wilted trees before coming out to an open clearing. To the south of him he could see the spires of tall towers, and at their base was a stretch of strong stone walls connecting them together. These fortifications needed to be durable to defend against the creatures of this world.

         Lunahreim jumped to the top of one of the spires. There were several towers like this one with walls conjoining them, all defending a great city. One that existed for over a thousand years, when the God of this world still walked among them. This was the kingdom's capitol, the city of Ranuul.

         At the center of the black stoned city was a castle. When Lunahreim was last here, it served as the home of the king. There was armed militia along the perimeter walls of the city, and there would surely be a great deal around the castle.

         Lunahreim didn't want to stir things up, he only needed to see the king. If he were to barge in, they may see him as an enemy. But the people here saw the night as truly dangerousl their perimeter walls would surely be the most fortified then. Hopefully the castle would be less guarded, easier to sneak in to.

         Ever the patient one, Lunahreim waited until nightfall. The world was plunged into almost complete darkness, save for the few flickers of light that existed in the city.

         He snuck into the city, jumping from rooftop to rooftop towards the castle. Of all the people in the Lands of Ranuulo, those that lived here had the closest to normal and safe lives. Of course with the prejudice of this world, there are only Ranuulans living in the city. Once he returned, everything would be better for everyone.

         Lunahreim crept around the perimeter of the castle until he found an open window and slunk in through it. Parts of the castle's halls appeared burnt. There was an empty spot on the wall where a painting should've gone. Beneath it was a scarred plaque that read 'King Midan'.

         He headed to the throne room of the castle. Even after all these years, he still remembered where it was. He closed the door behind him and flourished his hand. An orb of light appeared at his fingertips, and he looked around the room.

         There was a black throne with a pedestal in front of it. The pedestal had a slit in it, designed for the sword to be seated within it. But the sword wasn't here. Lunahreim walked to the throne, sat in it, and waited.

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         Morning came and a group of robed Ranuulans entered the throne room. All of them taken aback by Lunahreim. They wondered who would dare to sit on the throne. He told them to fetch the king, and when one tried to remove him from the throne, he snapped their wrist.

         A Ranuulan with luminescent silver eyes and a pale face entered the room. He wore black robes and an extravagant horned crown. The crown could be mistaken for menacing, but he thought it made him look like a fool. The glint of metal caught Lunahreim's eye. In this man's hand was a jagged silver greatsword, the Sword of Ranuulo.

         "You must be Zantii!" Lunahreim said from the throne.

         Zantii leveled the sword at Lunahreim, "You dare sit in the throne of this world's king?"

         Lunahreim almost laughed. This Zantii was a vain one. But that suited his purpose well. He simply needed to play to that personality.

         He stood from the throne and knelt, "I needed to see for myself that you were worthy. But after seeing you wield the sword of Ranuulo, I have no doubt. No one else is worthy to hear my message but you, the true king of this world."

         Zantii cocked his head and glared down at Lunahreim, "I'm glad you know your place. What message have you for me?"

         Lunahreim stood, "My King, you must know that sword makes you powerful. But have you learned to tap into its true strength?"

         Zantii raised his eyebrows. He circled Lunahreim, sat in his throne, and crossed his legs while still firmly gripping the sword. "Explain."

         "While you may rule over these lands created by the God Ranuulo, there is another. Lands created by the Goddess Ralosia."

         One of king's council snapped, "Ranuulo is the only god, stop this prattle of false ones."

         "I was alive when both Ranuulo and Ralosia still walked the land," Lunahreim glared at the man before turning his attention back to Zantii, "While that sword does make you the true ruler of this world, you have yet to tap into it's true strength. You must stain the sword with the blood of Ralosia's creations to gain the power of Ranuulo himself. It's your destiny to rule this world as its next god, Zantii."

         Zantii listened closely to Lunahreim before giving a devious grin. Lunahreim had him. His pompous display had played into Zantii's vanity.

         "What you say is true, I am destined to be this worlds ruler. But do you have any proof of this Lands of Ralosia?"

         Lunahreim had anticipated that question. He drew a hand into his cloak and pulled out a golden disk. He waited literal centuries to use this.

         He clicked its sides before setting it on the ground in the center of the throne room. From it a moving image manifested above it, depicting two figures in the middle of a desolate terrain.

         One was a muscular Ranuulan man with luminescent red eyes and flaming red hair. The other was a Ralosian woman with light skin, bright red hair, wearing white robes.

         The Ranuulan wielded a jagged greatsword, the same one that Zantii now held. The Ralosian wielded golden gauntlets, and they faced off against one another.

         "What is this?" Zantii asked as he looked upon the image.

         "A memory."

         The Ranuulan swung his great sword at the Ralosian, who blocked the blow with her gauntlets, and the earth beneath them shattered to pieces from the sheer force of it. The two clashed again and again, until the Ranuulan struck true, slicing across the Ralosian's chest.

         The Ralosian screamed and fell to the ground. But when the Ranuulan dropped his guard, she rose and punched a hole through his chest. His body went limp, and he began to crumble away before turning to ash. 

         The moving images the golden disk created disappeared.

         Lunahreim spoke, "That was the final battle between Ranuulo and Ralosia nearly a thousand years ago. The battle itself destroyed much of this land and formed the Denomi sea. Although Ralosia won the battle, she was wounded. Her last act before leaving this world was to curse the Lands of Ranuulo. It is your divine right to right those wrongs."

         Zantii and the other members of the court were stunned by the recording they witnessed. Zaanti hesitated before asking, "What must I do?"

         "We must go to the Lands of Ralosia to access the sword's true power. The people of that land haven't engaged in any form of warfare for centuries, they'll be no match for the hardened armies that exist here."

         Zantii sat back in his chair, "If I do this, this sword will grant me the power of a god?"

         "Yes."

         Zantii sneered.