Dripping Cold Blood: The Tale Of The Convens

Chapter 1: Riches To Rags! Long Live The King!

A long time ago, in a realm that stood so far away, there stood a kingdom. The kingdom of permanent ice and snow... where the weather may change but the snow never melts. A bustling metropolis of merchants who sold their wares anywhere at any time they desired. Buyers who would come from every realm, kingdom, and practically every world to shop and mingle in the Kabaran market. It was a place for those who enjoy cold climates, snowy weather, and frigidly frozen temperatures to call home. This bustling place was also home to one man... a beast... a myth and a legend that lives in infamy to this very day. A man whose name had stood tall with the blood of what seems like a thousand wars. A man who stained the heavens, the earth, and the realm of Hell with blood. A man who carried the entire kingdom in his hands, and on his back, but failed to protect it when he was needed most.

That man's name is Caine Conven, and while that name may not ring any bells to you, to the people of this once great kingdom, Caine was the hero that they needed as well as the hero that they deserved...or so they thought. However,  before we can begin with Caine's story, we must begin with the story of his father; King Zane. King Zane was a man who was very well respected both in his land, and the kingdom he would soon settle into. However, he never was born a royal. Initially, he was known as Zanephryn Conven, or Zane Conven. Zane was in fact born of two simple folk, who served in the court of the kingdom of demons.

You see, Zane was once a member of Hell's top demon generals. The generals at that time were labelled with numbers, with a decrease in number showing an increase of power..at the "young" age of 270 (18 in human time) he was able to not only get the rank of general, but also overturn the power rankings by coming in at number 4. Despite his rank, and subsequent strength, Zane faced a lot of hardships, being mocked for his inexperience when it comes to war being the most common criticism he faced. A lot of lower ranked generals who had been hoping to get their promotion would often taunt him and attempt to make him leave the army. However, Zane merely glared at them and offered his title versus their life in a fight. Whenever he would do this, the other generals would be very scared. No matter what they said they never dared to attempt full insubordination, or risking their lives on it, just to achieve a higher rank. As much as they desired that promotion, they never believed it was worth it. As such, Zane would never let their insults get to him.

As a general of the underworld's 4th strongest army, he was sent to the realm of humans in order to wage war. The king of demons would order the armies to go out and fight in various places, but it never seemed to work for them. The priests of the world above were merely too prepared for even the strongest armies to handle: blessed swords, arrows dipped in holy water, anything that would drive the demons away. But one day, Zane's life was about to change forever.

He was sent to an ice kingdom to usurp the throne in the name of the demon king, Satanael Cyrus. He would stand at the gate of the army in his humble human appearance: A fair skinned male with white hair, icy blue, nearly white, eyes and beautiful white teeth. He would wear a bard outfit, and would cover the outside with a cloak. As he approached the castle gates, two guards not only would stop him but would question him.

"Good morrow, fair gentlemen," Zane began before the two guards turned to look at each other and then at Zane. "I am sorry for the intrusion, as I am certain you both are busy. But, I've been summoned by the king."

The first guard moved towards Zane, glaring up at the tall giant before shaking his head as he spoke. His voice deep and gruff as he spoke. "Well, young squire, if you have a summons from the king you must provide the proper information. The king is currently busy and specifically asked not to be bothered today. So, on with it! Reveal your summons or back away from the gates." He said before shaking his head.

The second guard stepped behind Zane and began poking him in the back with the handle of his sword. Unlike his companion, this guards voice wasn't gruff. It was clear that he was a much newer recruit compared to the other watch guard. His voice still, however, carried over and pierced through the wind. "We don't have time for this! The army has fallen ill and we have to defend the castle! And, with all the talks of dark portals opening around here... we need to make sure all summons are true!"