Within Reach

Chapter 1: The Beginning of a Legend

"May the hell you find be one of your own making."

The Darklands weren't always a prominent continent. The Darklands are known as "the land without end". Jaenara Belaerys flew her dragon Terrax, south, more south than any man has flown before. The land is dangerous, except to those who are native to the region. The eyes of the westerners are not trained to see in the dark, and their bodies are incapable of handling the cold. Their minds are frail and they fear the dark. They cover up their fear of the dark, claiming that it is the nature of humans. Those who reside in The Darklands, or Sothoryos as the Westerners call it, spit on the notion of human instinct being to fear the dark. The light dwellers fear all they do not know and immediately alienate all those brave enough to question anything. This is why Westeros and Essos will never be the most powerful nation. That title belongs to The Darklands, although Westeros claims it as theirs and Essos claims the same. The Darkandish know this, and laugh at the foreigners. The Northerners, as everyone is a Northerner to the Darkandish people, believe that things such a magic, dragons and monsters are things of the past, or are from stories, that mothers tell their children before bed. They could not be more wrong.

In the Darklands, magic and monsters are very much alive and dwell in great numbers. The monsters vary by the terrain of the land, and there are monsters that have not even been discovered yet. The Northerners lack humility and modesty, as they think that they are the greatest predators in all the lands. The Darkandish constantly make jokes of the Northerners and their close-minded ways. The Northerners have fallen behind the times, their technology is outdated. The times are changing and it is the age of magic.

Magic is the foundation for all of life. Natural magic is all around us, if only we choose to see it for what is truly is. Some would call magic, not magic at all, but science. The problem presented by this argument is that science is the understanding of the natural order of things. The primary factor of magic is that it can never be understood. It is a willful force of nature that is not meant to be controlled of tamed, but to remind humanity that there are those stronger than them, more powerful than them and smarter than them.

And this is how all things begin, with magic imbued in everything, leaving no exceptions. The beginning of the reign of a conqueror is no exception. There is one conqueror who would stand above the rest. He would be called the Dissentient of Peace, the Scion of Darkness, the Immortal King. These would only be a few of his many titles.

He was unlike all other men, at least where he came from, even in physical terms. Everyone from his territory were typically short, had the palest of skin, and hair as if it was freshly fallen snow. Their eyes were were a soft pink, like the petals of a spring flower.

Andrian Dall'aglio was the exception to this rule. He had hair darker than the night, and was a tall man. He had skin that was a light shade of caramel, and had stubble on his face where the people in his state grew none. His eyes though, were probably the only trait that he had inherited of his people. Even then, his eyes were considered strange and otherworldly, even in a Darkandish sense, as not much is seen as strange to this race of mystic peoples. His eyes were red, colored as if they were borne of the blood of a thousand angry men.

Andrian, was truly a conqueror. Do not be so naive as to think that because he is the protagonist of our story, he will be a hero. Andrian Dall'aglio is a ruthless bastard who had to claw his way, kicking and screaming to the top. The way to the top is not an easy climb. Every man that reaches the top has blood crusted finger nails and the taste of iron in his mouth.

The truth of the matter is that Andrian has a horribly stained soul. He knows no mercy in battle, not even to women or children. He will not hesitate to cut down anyone he thinks might stand in his way. He knows the meaning and the taste of true power. Something only few men have or will ever experience in their pathetic lives. Andrian, he is the one who harnesses true power. The essence of life and magic. A true sage and warrior.