Lore of Eternal Shadow: The Fugitive King

Chapter One

Zicone ascended the side of the forested hill. The morning sun trickled through the softly breathing leaves. The fresh smell of a new late-spring day floated like a party around the ferns and saplings. Cutting through the terrain and beyond Zicone's sight below was a small river. Zicone moved upstream along a thin dirt path, following a distant roar that grew closer with each step. He moved past the last of the trees and beheld a great white waterfall. Water careened between two mossy stone pillars a hundred feet tall, drawing forth a serene mist into the heavens.

Staying atop the high cliff above the waterfall, Zicone came to the back of one of the tall pillars. He climbed up a ladder he'd made a while back and rose over the tree line. He was careful not to let his simple linen robes catch on the roughly crafted sticks of the ladder—he didn't plan on falling to his death at seventeen years old. Zicone knew the pillars were crafted by intelligent hands but as his knuckles occasionally touched the rough volcanic stone under the moss, he knew they were way too old to have been made by his own people, the Zey^Rey. The pillars were probably a relic of the Elementals, from a time when they ruled over the whole continent of Galgaroth. Zicone was fond of the pillars. Not because of whatever storied greatness the ancient Elementals proclaimed on them, but because of the view.

Zicone stood atop the pillar. A light breeze above the trees caught his long white hair. Zicone's green eyes looked out to the east, at the wide valley coated with trees. His gaze followed the river down to Grunenstein, a little town three miles downriver for humans who wanted out of the way of Galgaroth's politics. Beyond, the little river fed into the River Mor, a mighty channel which etched through Galgaroth's middle. Further on, far over the horizon, the lands of humans gave way to the homelands of the Elementals. Zicone could see everything and he could feel how it came to be.

As a Zey^Rey, Zicone saw a level of the universe underneath what a human would see. Each of the twelve tribes of the Zey^Rey could see a different aspect of the universe. As Zicone was a Time-Master, he could see the patterns of time, it's effects, where objects had been. If Zicone concentrated hard enough, he would witness how this valley was formed, over thousands and millions of years. This extra layer of the universe presented itself as an endless series of mathematical equations. Decoding these calculations was only half of a Zey^Rey's abilities. With mathematical calculations, Zey^Rey could craft mighty spells beyond anything even an Elemental could use.

The amount of power available to a Zey^Rey remained the same whether they be seventeen or seventeen-thousand. Every Zey^Rey defined a small but significant portion of the universe itself, only gaining or losing power in rare circumstances. A Zey^Rey's ability was gauged by how much they could control their power. Every time a Zey^Rey used magic the strain caused small parts of their psyche to eroded, only returning with rest. When a Zey^Rey used too much of their power to handle, they would go into the Zey^Rey Rage, losing all control as their powers reign chaotic on the world. Manipulating the largest calculations was best left to the eldest Zey^Rey. When Zicone reached about three or four thousand years of age, he reckoned he could start tackling the most powerful magic without Raging.

Zicone shifted his weight a bit on the stone column. He took a bit of his long white hair out of his face and behind his pointed ear. His race may have looked similar to humans but they had far more power at their fingertips. Most Zey^Rey had increased egos to match their power. Zey^Rey history was pockmarked with war, tyranny, and earth-shaking disasters.

Zicone studied the landscape before him. Galgaroth was not even the home dimension of the Zey^Rey and yet even here in this "provincial" dimension (as it was referred among the Zey^Rey) the Zey^Rey had been the center of the continent's troubles, one way or another. The latest batch had involved Zicone's father, Zanrai Isducainia, who had been the King of All the Zey^Rey. Zicone's father had grown to love Galgaroth. Zanrai was King of Galgaroth in addition to being the Zey^Rey king. Zanrai's murder had plunged Galgaroth into chaos and things were only just settling after eleven years. Zicone had spent that time dodging opportunistic politicians with schemes to use the young and supposedly dumb Crown Prince for their own gain.