Before the Beginning

Prologue - A Time Before Vihaan?

Power. Death. Destruction.

Three things. Two countries. All in play.

Two rulers. Both powerful. Both causers of death. Both causers of destruction.

One side, the elves. The other side, the humans. Humans who initiated this war to begin with, believing elves were powerful, and that the elves were going to try and take over their land. Obviously, humans didn't like that, so they attempted to invade the elven lands, which failed, and started a war between the sides. These lands had once been peaceful, now were falling to ruin. Lands that were once beautiful... now covered in fire, and flames, and blood. Rivers now red, forests now smoke, and laughter now silenced. 

The stench of death was all around, thanks to these two leaders; one, who had initiated the war, the other, who had continued it. Two leaders, both responsible. Two leaders, both murders.

Many didn't know a time of peace. Many had grown up in this war. Many had only been told they had to help win it for their side. Grandparents may have remembered a glimpse of a time of peace, or otherwise held stories from their parents of how their world was once beautiful, once peaceful, once free.

Once alive. 

\\***//

Ahriman Ashcroft, king of the elves, paced the throne room. His country was being destroyed, teared apart, and he needed a way to stop it. That ghastly King of the humans, Baldric Cadell, was the reason this was still going on. He wouldn't stop the human's advance on the elves, and just stop the war his ancestors had started. And now, Ahriman couldn't bring peace like his ancestors had tried to. 

A flash of lightning, followed by a rumble of thunder, the rain pouring relentlessly. What would be his decision? There was no way his reign would bring peace. His time would end, and the war would still rage on. But, he had to at least try to finish what his ancestors had started - bringing about peace. Peace. A word many had forgotten. Something his children would probably never have. Something everyone wished for, but couldn't have. There was no end in sight. No sign of the humans falling back. Surrender wasn't an option. It never was. 

"Father!" His eldest, a girl of the age nineteen, came into the room. She had purple eyes, tan skin, and long blonde hair. "Myself and Lyric have been thinking of ideas." The king looked at his daughter wearily. If he couldn't think of ideas, perhaps his children could. He was open to anything at this point. As he gestured for her to continue, Lyric, who was aged seventeen, came rushing in.

"Emela! At least wait for me..." The boy grumbled. He looked nothing like his sister, having bright blue eyes, brown hair and pale skin. 

"As I was saying before I was interrupted." Emela shot a sharp glare at her brother, before looking back to her father. "What if we used magic?" 

"Magic? You do realise we can't use magic, Emela." Ahriman said wearily, rubbing his temples. 

"Well, elves used to be able to, but it died out, right?" Emela continued. "Or so we think. Humans believe we can still use magic. They think we're a threat, hence why they want to invade."

"And, it's not like sightings of magic have been completely null." Lyric came into the conversation. "We've had our suspicions elves who can wield magic are still around! How cool is that?" He grinned. 

"Anyways, if we found these elves, they should be quite powerful, no?" Emela said. Ahriman thought this over. Yeah, this was why his children were clearly smarter than him. "We've been looking at the data-"