The Old Gods

Christians

In the total darkness, poetry is still there, and it is there for you.

-Abbas Kiarostami

Walnia was the old Christian country, famous for incredibly strong and disciplined army, intelligent scientists and new inventions, modest and humble Christian residents, for nature and beauty that made the nation look like a fairy tale. It was like residents of Walnia knew the secret that other nations didn't, the secret on how to lead a peaceful and happy life.

But the truth is, nothing would be possible without the old dynasty of Christus that have been leading Walnia since it was founded by Cyrus the Warrior who used to be a general, conquered the great lands where he decided to build a nation for Christians who will live humble and peaceful life, but fight until death if someone dares to disturb their tranquility by attacking their lands. Cyrus the Warrior took the last name Christus and passed it to generations of the new rulers, as a sign of God.

His remains were buried next to the humble church that he had build and dedicated to Virgin Mary. On his grave stood inscription.

"Whoever you are and wherever you come from, for I know you will come, I am Cyrus who won the Walnians their empire. Do not therefore begrudge me this bit of earth that covers my bones."

And since then the great dynasty of Christus have been ruling over the centuries and the people of Walnia were happy. Each of the rulers was famous for the great things they have accomplished while they were sitting on the throne.

But the current ruler, King Darius The Dark was an example of how heavy the head that wears the crown can be.

Darius was the youngest of his three brothers when his father decided that he will pass his throne to him , because he was a pure image of the true ruler. Darius was an astonishing warrior, but at the same time he was wise, and still loved by the people of Walnia.

From the young age he studied many languages, he studied kingdoms in many forms, he knew how did kingdoms raised and how did kingdoms vanished, he was the best adviser any king could ever ask for, and the best soldier any general could ever wish to have.

Only problem was that Darius never wanted to be a king, he wanted to travel, he wanted to meet the every little corner of the world, he wanted to see different people, he wanted to learn so much and be free.

Despite his own wishes, Darius listened to his father and after his death, became the King of Walnia when he was only 17 years old.

Darius felt trapped and unhappy in his own castle, until he meet the gorgeous woman with a long gold hair and strong spirit named Anna. Darius was a charming man, tall with brown hair and dark eyes, so he made Anna fall for him, and become his wife, and queen of Walnia.

Darius and Anna had a daughter named Maria, and the great King was finally happy. But life had a different plans for the young king, after he got just a glimpse of what happiness could be, everything was brutally taken away from him.

By that time, Walnia was fighting against Vikings who were mercilessly invading the lands of Walnia every spring since they have discovered a rich lands, castle, and lavish churches from where they could steal so much gold.

Darius handled the pagan intruders well, he was able to fight them off and banish them from the lands of Walnia many times, but he was amazed by their strength, and the way the had no fear of death.

Vikings believed in their gods so passionately, without a single doubt that when they die, they will sit in the golden halls of Valhalla and drink with gods and those who had died in the battles.

Darius fought them passionately, to protect his kingdom and family, bearing the picture of his beautiful wife and little daughter in his mind, he killed a lot of Vikings, he made an insane battle tactics that had an amazing outcome for Walnia, and people celebrated his name for it.

But everything changed on the holly Sunday morning, when Darius was in the church with is family and many others, and Vikings came by the surprise after not visiting Walnia for a long time since they were defeated in a cold blood. They brutally attacked the church. Darius and his soldiers had no weapon with them at that moment because it wasn't allowed to enter the church with it. The Vikings started brutally killing the pious people who were praying the God in their last moments. Darius was ready to give his own young life to save his daughter Maria and his wife, but he was powerless, everything happened so quickly.

The death of his wife holding Maria close to her body and desperately calling upon the God to save them from the doom was the last thing Darius saw before one of the Vikings swing with candle on Darius damaging onto his eyes, damaging his vision forever.

Despite the pain he was feeling, Darius tried fighting Vikings with his bare hands, and with remaining soldiers he took the Christian survivors out of the church, as soon as he was outside he closed the doors of the church locking the Vikings inside. The doors weren't strong enough, and not enough man were outside to fight them.

And may God forgive Darius for his sin, he ordered the church to be burned with the bodies of Anna and Maria inside that were more valuable then the lives of the Vikings who burned together with the people they have decided to kill on the holly Sunday morning.

On that place was build another church dedicated to those who lost their lives in Viking attack.

Since that day, Darius the Dark gained his name, not only because what he saw was mostly darkness of his damaged eyesight, but because he became different after the tragedy that destroyed him, he became so cruel to his enemies, and people all around the world shivered when the name Darius the Dark was mentioned.