The Wizard's Penance

Chapter 1

Eons after the death of the Great Emperor, the land under his kingdom thrived under a new name: Cyrolia. While most of Cyrolia had forgotten the treachery that the Great Emperor had done to the world, fragments of his existence still remained; some in the form of old records, locked in libraries and halls hidden away from the light of day, while others in form of people who claimed to have heard tales from their elders of how the world was once torn apart by a creature, so vile, dark and consuming that none could stand in its way.

As time passed however, more and more people became blind to the truth. The Emperor's actions and doings to the world were now, nothing more than folk lore, but some believed, that it was during times like these, when the world chose to curtain itself from the past, would his power rise once again, to devour even the light that reflected upon the ground.

To the people of the Fortress of Hamateth, though, it felt like light had already been devoured. For, on this very day, they had lost their beloved King, Darnthus Kingsley. Hamateth was a warrior city located on the western reaches of Cyrolia. It was located in a winter-y gorge, which was secluded from the other areas of the region. Before Darnthus had become King, the fortress was under the rule of a corrupt tyrant. His rule was later abolished, as the people stood up against him. Once it was; it was decided that Darnthus would become the new king, as he was the perpetrator of the plan to remove the king from his throne. Under Darnthus' leadership the fortress was built to the mighty form it was in today. Thus, his death was truly a great loss to the warriors of Hamateth.

A funeral, fit for a king was organized, where every man, woman and child had paid their respects. The people of Hamateth weren't ones to cower from change, however. While heart broken, they looked forward to see who would become their next king, and hopefully continue to rule the fortress much like Darnthus did. According to the laws set by Darnthus, after his death, one of his two sons would become the next king. A council shall be set up, which would then decide which of the two sons would be more worthy of taking the position, and in the case that neither have the qualities and traits of that of a true leader, the highest in command from amongst the King's Royal Guards would be elected.

The two sons of the King were Baratheus Kingsley, and Varathian Kingsley. Baratheus was the younger of the two, and hadn't ever shown much interest in authority or royal meetings. It was as if he had always lived in his own little world, not behaving in the manner a royal child would. He showed interest in adventuring and exploring instead, wanting to learn the intricacies of the world. Varathian on the other hand, was always seen alongside his father, taking active part in all sorts of affairs and was even described the 'King's Right Hand' by many people.

Soon, came the day when the council would declare their decision. It consisted of the King's closest friends and trusted companions, who acted as his advisors and supporters. At the time, Baratheus was 19, while Varathian 23.

Both Baratheus and Varathian were sitting in their father's Main Castle Room, wearing tradition royal robes. Baratheus' was of a black color, with lines and straps of lush white that ran from the top of his collar till the very end of his chest. It complemented his dark hair and navy-blue eyes well, whereas Varathian's was of a beige color, with splashes of caramel on both the front and back. Once again, his robes matched well with his complexion and hair color.

There was an unnerving silence in the stone hall, as the council members were expected to appear soon. Baratheus and Varathian sat next to each other, in a very long oval-shaped table. It was decorated with a dark blue cloth, which had figures of a dancing gryphon on it, a famous art piece in the Western parts of Cyrolia. The room was lighted only by the small rays of light that came in from the windows located at each end. Small gushes of wind would blow in, moving the chandeliers above the heads of the two princes, and making the sound of wind chimes.