The Secrets of Arcana

Eve

I could feel my heart pounding against my chest as if someone was trying to break out of a cage. The bag strap on my shoulder seemed to pull me down, weight digging into my shoulder with a dull pain. I didn't want to get caught- I couldn't. If I did, everything would disappear. My parents wouldn't allow any freedoms- no more spending time with my best friend, no reading books to the town's children in the library. And I would no longer be able to mount the back of a dragon and guide it to where I truly call home- Arcana.

Or at least what's left of it.

Arcana was a large, beautiful, and wealthy kingdom that was home to many, and loved by all who passed through. There was a beautiful castle that stood tall beside its large village. Mountainous land and thick trees surrounded the kingdom, protecting the beautiful landscape from invaders, and rival kingdoms. But those on the outside were never the real threat, it was those on the inside that they should've been scared of.

There were always people unhappy with how the kingdom was run; you simply can't keep everyone happy. There were frequent rebel attacks, people would storm the castle in the middle of the night, and try to burn down small sections of the villages. And these attacks would never have more than a few months break in between them.

One specific man who thought the kingdom was poorly run was Erik Eld. He believed the king was weak, and that he should be the ruler. So, one quiet night, while the whole kingdom was sleeping, Erik gathered a group of his most faithful followers and stormed the castle. His men fought off the King's men, while he climbed to the highest tower of the castle, where the King and Queen laid, unaware of what was going on below them.

Eld stormed into their chambers, startling them awake. And before the King could even think about grabbing the sword just a few feet from his bed, Erik stabbed him right in the heart. It's said that the Queen's screams were deafening, as she watched her love die right beside her in the bed they had shared for more than thirty years.

Soon, palace soldiers were storming the room, still fighting with Eld's men, and quickly realizing that the man they were faithful to was dead. Prince Roland, the only son, and only child, of the royal couple, was one of the last to enter the room. But he was the first to attack Erik.

He was a brilliant fighter, and it's said the fighting around them stopped because both sides were captivated by the sight. Both got injured, but in Roland's rage at seeing the death of his father, and the condition his beloved mother was in because of it, he cut Erik's arm off. This filled Eld with even more hatred for the royal family, but he knew he had to retreat if he wanted even the slightest chance of coming back to take the throne. So, he retreated with his men, leaving the Royal family and those faithful to them.

Roland made the announcement of his father's death early the next morning. Many people were still faithful to the family and were angry with what Eld had done, allowing a war to quickly break out. An immeasurable amount of lives were lost, most buried together under the blood-stained soil. No historian has been able to truly figure out how many were lost in those few months. But those who survived, while tired and bitter, initiated the Divide.

The Divide was a deal made by both sides of the war, agreeing to separate Arcana into independent kingdoms, cities, and empty space. No one knows how Eld would've reacted because he was never seen fighting after losing his arm. No one was even sure if he survived or not, all they know is that some of his most faithful followers, friends, and close family, had led those in the battle against Roland.

Other small kingdoms had joined the fight, but the two main forces, Roland and Eld, formed the most powerful kingdoms. Arcana's beautiful palace was in ruins, so they went outwards, and created their new kingdoms, Lymphia and Ignis.