Legends of the Stars

Chapter 4: The Great War

Chapter 4

The Great War

 In the wake of the Imperial invasion, it wasn't long before the whole kingdom entered a mass panic. A wave of anxiety instantly washed over everyone, as they feared where and when another attack would occur. Entire towns were shut down, all major roads were closed, and people started barricading themselves in their homes and arming themselves. All the paranoia led to rumors of Imperial spies operating within the kingdom. This caused the closest neighbors in the friendliest towns to turn against each other. Riots broke out, and fellow citizens viciously tore their own communities apart. The Empire didn't need to attack a village when it could destroy itself for them.

A week later, things became much worse.

Demons began appearing all over Astrelm. These ravenous beasts typically dwelled in caverns and ruins, and would only roam the wilderness at night. But ever since the invasion of Newtown, they began appearing in broad daylight, and their numbers would double at night. They formed small nests across the land to hide and grow in, which made leaving towns unarmed much too dangerous, especially after dark. Over the past two years, these infernal creatures killed thousands of innocent people, but they were all only a drop in the ocean.

More Imperials began claiming towns and cities throughout the kingdom. The war between both nations had lasted for almost a century, but Astrelm had never suffered a loss quite like this. The Empire used to only claim smaller countries for control of their resources, and Astrean forces helped these territories fight them off. But now, they had the power to attack their kingdom head-on, and they were winning. Even with their shortage of vital resources, the Empire had such advanced technology that its military had surpassed that of Astrelm.

Along with the Empire, many small terrorist groups had risen up, creating havoc across the land. They believed they couldn't stop Kaiser's "Era of Chaos," so they decided to join in instead. These gangs were small, but deadly nevertheless, and they worshipped Kaiser as their Dark Lord. One group worked under Kaiser personally, and they were undoubtedly the most dangerous and sadistic warriors on the planet.

These fanatics were known as the Death Riders, a guild of criminals and outcasts who were found by Kaiser just after the war's inception. Impressed by their commitment to his cause, the Dark Lord took them in and made them his agents of chaos. Not only were they skilled in combat, but they were also imbued with their master's black magic. With it, they rivaled the Ark Knights in strength and speed. But it also made them more demon than human.

They ravaged entire towns and claimed countless lives, taking pleasure in mass destruction. They razed everything in sight with their dark power. They even had the ability to control hordes of demons and set them loose on their unfortunate victims. Like the monsters they controlled, on the battlefield, they were beasts without a leash. Though these Riders were feared and hated across the globe, they were still human beings whose hearts were drawn to darkness. They were furious with the world for letting them down, blaming it for all the misfortunes in their hapless lives. For that, they wanted to see it all burn.

To control the chaos, the Astrean government shut down the entire network of Stargates that teleported people across the kingdom. Following the attack on Newtown, they didn't want to risk the Empire infiltrating any more cities. Only warriors given special Star Rings could travel to these gates, but only those already registered in them. Though they scanned their user's faces before granting them access, these devices were still limited to a chosen few as a safety precaution.

The Royal Family also deployed the Knights of Astrelm, a guild of elite soldiers who specialized in fighting with Divine Weapons. These artifacts of the Old World were forged from crystals infused with light energy, the demons' greatest weakness. The knights were led by Astra Zarelian, the Princess of Astrelm, and her brother, Prince Revan. They and their father, King Ramon, barely managed to escape the Citadel during Kaiser's attack, and now lead the kingdom from a hidden sanctuary somewhere in the country. While the Princess was second-in-command, she stood out the most among the two. Due to her kind nature and outstanding skill, speed, and courage on the battlefield, she was hailed a hero by the citizens of Astrelm.

The people were so inspired by the knights' courage, many of them began forming their own guilds to fight the dark forces. Very soon, an entire organization of warriors known as the Rangers was formed. They led assaults on both Imperial bases and demon nests all around the kingdom. Jaden was among those traveling the land and fighting the enemy, but he usually fought alone to keep others out of trouble. Even with all his powers, he believed keeping them hidden was the best way to protect people. If anyone else knew what he was or what he could do, they could end up hurt or dead.

Just like before.

Forgoing the labors of war, exploring the realm became quite a fun adventure for Jaden. In the ruins, he and many other fighters found numerous treasures that they either sold for money or kept as souvenirs. But Jaden had his eyes set on finding the Divine Weapons, just like many other explorers, hoping to add them to his arsenal. These relics were extremely useful in battling both the Imperial Army and the demons. Some could even give the wielder powers similar to an Ark Knight's. While only a handful have been found, there were still many others that have yet to be discovered. But there was one artifact above all the rest that the whole world was looking for.

Though the Empire's main focus was taking over the kingdom, their armies were also tasked with finding the greatest treasure of all: The First Star. They intended to use its infinite power to shape the world in their own twisted image. For years, they scoured the planet in search of the Divine Temples housing its fragments: the Crystal Stars. Naturally, the Royal Family soon joined the race after the war began, offering a million Cal to anyone who can retrieve any one of the Stars. They hoped not only to prevent them from claiming the First Star, they planned to summon the Aeons sleeping within the crystals to finally defeat the Empire.