Invincible: Heart of Ice

PROLOGUE

 Greed can be a very powerful thing. One greedy person can erase centuries of history off the face of the planet. And that's exactly what happened with King IV.

700 YEARS AGO...

"My king, are you sure? Doing this will surely make them retaliate, and I don't like our chances of three against one." The general pleaded with the king, trying to make him see reason. However, it wasn't working very well so far.

"Yes, I'm sure, General. We will wipe those scum off of this land, and then I shall be in control of everything. I and only I!" he thundered. "Fire will always reign supreme!" To show off his point, the king willed a small flame to life in his palm, and then slammed it on the table baring the war map. The intricate wood burst up in flames, swallowing it whole. The general jumped back, trying to get away from the angry king.

"But Your Majesty—"

A swish of metal was heard, and the general's head rolled on the floor. The king sheathed his bloody blade without a hint of remorse on his face. He looked around the room to see the various guards looking at him in fear.

"Well? Does anyone else want to question my plan? Do any of you want to stand up for the filthy swine?" he roared. When nobody answered, the king sighed and seemed to calm himself down. "It seems I need a new general," he said, looking at the head that had rolled to his feet. He picked it up by the hair and stared at the glassy eyes looking back at him. "That should teach you not to talk back to me." King Solaeri dropped the head on the floor again, and walked back to his throne.

"Somebody get me the deceased general's second in command!"

*XxX*

Outside of the throne room, a hooded figure listened in to the conversation taking place. A heap of guards lay behind the figure in a pile. When the person had had enough of the conversation, he turned around to leave. He ran through the halls of the palace, avoiding guards by ducking behind pillars or open doors. After a few minutes of running, he finally reached the main entrance. He made a beeline for the open doors and almost made it when a hoarse voice called out from behind him.

"HALT!" Without a second glance behind him, the figure threw a dagger over his shoulder, and it hit its target. The guard looked down stunned at the dagger protruding from his chest before sinking down to his knees and collapsing. The figure ran out the door and mounted a white stallion.

"Come on, giddyup!" he cried. The horse was a blur of white as it galloped down the pathway. The figure's cape billowed behind him, and he looked back as he heard the shouts of guards and sounds of hooves slapping stone. There was an ensemble of four guards chasing after him on their own horses. The figure faced forward again and kicked his heels against his horse's sides.

"Come on, Melion, hurry up." He urged the horse to go faster. Melion obeyed his master's commands and picked up his pace, kicking up a stream of dirt behind him. Melion and his master partook in a chase through the woods, trying to lose the guards at their heels. However, instead of losing them, they only seemed to gain head and caught up with the fleeing man. Deciding that outrunning them wasn't going to work, the man used another tactic instead. He unbuttoned his cape, and let the wind take it away. The plan worked, and the cape flew into the head guard's face. The man used the momentary distraction to veer into a cave in a cliff which was hidden from view because of a drape hanging ivy.

The man slowed down and eased upon Melion's reins. Melion slowed down and trotted deeper into the heart of the cliff. Soon, the pair came upon a clearing. It was taken up by a huge, glistening pool of water. The man dismounted his steed and walked to the edge of the pool. With no hesitation, he stepped into the water. It felt as if time slowed down when the man submerged himself completely underwater. However, instead of drowning, he just kept on walking until he reached his destination. His destination was a gigantic underwater city surrounded by a dome of oxygen. There was a big ravine, and clinging to the rocks were glistening, pearly buildings. All of the buildings had domes as roofs, and were connected by stone pathways that arched down into the depths of the ocean. In the distance, there were two pillars, connected by a slab of stone at the top. All throughout the city, marine life was abundant. Schools of fishes were swimming about, and dolphins were spinning through the water. The only thing that was unnatural was the lack of people. There should have been crowds of people talking, laughing, hanging out, but the city was silent. They must have guessed that something bad was coming. The man took in his beloved city in silence for a few moments before walking towards a small hut at the bottom of the ravine. He quickened his pace, knowing that time was running out. Finally, when he reached the hut, he wasted no time and flung open the door.