Legends of Setaria: Part 1

Prologue

Horns broke through the air. The skies turned shades of crimson. Men scrambled to defend and women armed themselves. Citizens fled the city to ships and spacecrafts, fearing for their lives. Fires were lit, gates were shut, rivers were guarded and barricades were constructed.

A man armored in a suit of glinting gold, carrying a shining shield and gleaming sword, peered out over a wall. Soldiers surged to his sides, drawing their bows and aiming out at the horizon.

"King Tyranos, what are your commands?" Another man with a red plume in his silvery helm rushed up beside his master.

The king did not reply. He continued to look out into the distance.

On the horizon rose a mass of tumbling black clouds, sweeping over the golden plains. They were nearing swiftly, casting darkness over the land before they reached it. The ground began to tremble like extreme earthquakes. The clouds rose and grew in size, and blackness settled on the ground. Eyes flickered in the dark depths. Shrill, mocking laughs rose from the depths.

"Light the fires!" The king ordered.

Fires were lit in front of the walls and on top of them, lighting up the world around their castle a few yards beyond the defenses. There was the bellow of a horn in the distance, and not one of the kingdom's. The king whipped around and gritted his teeth.

"Prepare the catapults!" The king barked.

A chorus of clicks and thumps filled the air as catapults were locked and loaded.

"Archers, prepare to fire!"

Suddenly, thousands of screeches rang out at the southern wall, where citizens were trying to escape the castle. The king swung around, mounting a massive bird with silvery feathers, a beak of iron, and talons of platinum. He looked at the soldier to his left. "I am going to defend my kingdom. Make sure these walls do not fall, Kyrianoch, to whatever threat this may be."

"I shall see it done, my king." Kyrianoch dipped his head.

"Yah! Fly, Ulmonax!" The king flicked the reigns of Ulmonax and it soared into the air. He shot past the towers of his massive castle that was cast under darkness, and he rose over huts, stands, streets and houses. The king roared a battlecry, guiding the bird towards the fight. Ulmonax screeched and cut through the air, diving down. It's feathers became harder than obsidian as it landed, crushing creatures lurking on the shadowy ground. The king hurtled from his seat on Ulmonax, getting into stance. He and the creature stood side by side, peering into the shadows. Fires waved above them on the wall, but they proved useless against the thick blackness.

A young, mocking laugh pierced through the odd silence. "King Tyranos," Shadows swarmed every yard around the king. He stood his ground, staring intently into the darkness. "What a shame. I thought you would've learned from our last encounter that pushing away your allies only leads to death in the end."

"I...."

"Why did you push my parents away?" The voice demanded. "Why did you scold them for their reminders and punish them for their rebellion? You killed - no - assassinated my parents! Was that the answer, King? Was it your glorious solution?"

"Shakar, I-."

"My name is not Shakar," the voice rebuked the King, "my name is Shriek, the same shriek you heard when my parents were killed by that blasted sword you call a gift. My father forged that sword for battle, not to strike him and my mother down! You murderous fiend!" Out of the shadows stepped a young boy with dark, furious eyes and long, untamed hair that fell over his eyes. He glared up at the king, clenching his teeth and fists.