3000 years after The Great Omnian war.
The month of Dawn has arrived, and Nickolas is pleased to invite his Lords and servants to the Great Castle of Hemlock, to celebrate a new millennium of Omnia. Nickolas was well built, healthy and agile for his age, considering he was in his fifties. His hair had a dark shade of brown and was taller than your average man, he had blue eyes that looked like the deepest of the ocean waters.
In the castle of Hemlock, the Lords have gathered in the king's hall and Nickolas Granyte sits on his Omni throne, which is made from magical rocks gathered by the wizards in the West. The throne is shaped like a wooden chair, placed at the end of the hall at a place where everyone is viewable to the king's eye.
Nickolas saw Lords laughing and mumbling, drinking their ale like they have not touched it since the Zills, he saw servants serving delicious food to the high ladies of Duskford. The hall was lit with torches at every corner; the roof was opened to let the autumn wind in, Nickolas could smell the sweet cold air, accepting that this millennium would be the best for Omnia. He could see his eldest son, Arthur discussing matters with the Lords and his daughter, Ameera sitting uncomfortably with his wife, Olivia dyne. Yet Nickolas could not find James, his second son.
''Olivia,'' he turned to his wife and called her, ''where is James? he should be here with his brother.'' ''I hope that he is not getting his robes dirty with the stable boys. But need not to worry I will send Agatha to fetch him, even if it takes the whole castle to find him.'' Her voice was comforting and it always sounded sweet to Nickolas. Her hair was long, dark brown and her eyes had the shades of hazelnut, she wore a gown that was black and green, it made her look like a queen. ''Don't worry, my sweet Nickolas, he will be found, you know how he is. He loves to be outside the castle and practice swords with the stable boys,'' she explained to him. ''Yes, I do know that he is fond of swords and I also know that he is quick to anger yet we must confront him on this matter. We must counsel him.'' He replied with a light tone. ''Indeed we must...'' her voice suddenly grew weary. ''Why can't he be more like Arthur.'' ''Because Arthur is different, he is wise for his age.''
Nickolas gave a sigh and then stood up and spoke.
''My Lords'' everyone in the hall stopped their conversations and gave attention to the king, '' I am fortunate to be in the presence of our heroes, the Duskford Capelins, as the reports say, have exterminated almost all of the southern bandits that were killing and looting from us southerners, yet the threat is not over two more bandit gangs roam the south and our savior team will get to them before they cause more chaos, but today we are celebrating a new millennium that will surely bring peace and serenity. The month of dawn has arrived, and our purpose is to produce more food for the needy and so we will, by the land I have bought from the ruler of the island of Farmtrayl, the island has been blessed by the elves for centuries, the soil has magic which produces food every day so we might not starve.
This is my gift to all my southern people from now on we need not starve at all.'' All the sudden the crowd in the hall started cheering, Nickolas could hear the Lords shouting. ''The savior king!'' Nickolas sat down with a smile on his face. After several hours of eating and drinking the celebrations of the new millennium ended, Lords and ladies were leaving the hall while the king watched them leave happily but the king was not satisfied because James was nowhere to be found.
''Arthur,'' Nickolas called his oldest son Arthur Granyte ''wherein the name of God is James?'' Arthur was built like Nickolas, had his eyes and straight black hair like his mother. ''I do not know father; I saw him leave the castle an hour ago.'' Arthur replied in a sore voice.
The king gestured and Arthur left the room. Nickolas sat alone in his royal room, he wondered where James might be, and James was his youngest son and the most ambitious. Since he was a child he has been quarreling with lowborns while Arthur was always quiet and wise. Nickolas was getting weary of sitting on his throne so he stood up and called the guards to summon the help-pleaders. One by one all the beggarly lowborns of this city came in one line, most of them had ragged clothes, some torn some too loose for them to wear.
They all had a face of grief and pain and tiredness. Tired from living a life with no purpose. They all bowed down to the king, the bow was discomforting half of them had weak limbs. Nickolas felt uncomfortable, he never liked the help-pleaders bowing down to him. Today more people were coming in than usual. What has happened to my city, lowborns dying of water and food, but now everything will change I can see it. Nickolas reassured himself. When all the help needing lowborns entered the hall, Nickolas stood up and spoke.
"Welcome my people of Hemlock, what is it you desire or require, you shall speak with me here directly and I shall provide everything you need, only if you give me a certain reason on why you desire or require such a thing." Nickolas smiled and sat down. I really need to get a personal speaker for myself, Nickolas thought.
''My king,'' a ragged clothed old man spoke with a hesitant voice. ''My king I am Lothar of the outer market of Hemlock, and I wish to seek your help in these dire times, before the new millennia we were robbed by bandits, they slipped past the southern wall of our city and robbed us and killed 3 of our men, all I ask is that my king is get rid of these barbarians.''
The man's face was filled with sorrow when he finished. Nickolas gave a nod and spoke '' I have given such orders to a group called the Duskford Capelins and they shall surely get rid of these pests, I promise you that. The man looked relieved and left the hall. Time flew by as Nickolas attended his people, after two hours he concluded the meeting and left his hall.
He walked towards his chambers but then decided to feel the Omnian breeze, he started to walk towards the castle steps. The castle of Hemlock was tall and towering for the lowborns, but for him it was just a castle he has been living in since his childhood, a castle that used to be filled with joy but since his father Hamish Granyte died, it seems the castle has also given its joyful soul. The long passages that led to the steps, were detailed in every corner. It had paintings on the wall of old kings before him, tapestries of the civil war and the Great Omnian war, black shaded floor and red walls that gave a symbolism of blood. Nickolas reached the castle steps and saw his people, his city, and his kingdom. These people are my responsibility, and I shall serve them. Hemlock city had huge walls made from iron covering it and protecting it from bandits, and the city was dense with lowborns rumbling here and there living their worthless lives. Lowborns were people that were born outside the city walls and when they came of age, they move into Hemlock to live a Wonderful life.
Nickolas gave a good look at this dense city and went back in the castle. The castle was situated in the middle of the city, it was surrounded by people and priests that used to pray to their so-called Gods known as the ELECTS. Three beings that created all of living things in Omnia, but Nickolas did not give any heed to what the priests said. He walked towards his chambers to get good sleep, but the walk was long as his bedroom chamber was located on the king's tower and the tower was tall, it had steps that felt like they were going on forever and ever.
"Father!" Nickolas turned his head and saw his middle son James running towards him.
James called his father Nickolas. "James, where were you? why were you not in the new millennium celebration?"
James was tall and thin for his age, as he was sixteen, he had pitch black hair and brown eyes that he got from his mother. He had a mildly slim face with his hair covering his forehead. "I am sorry Father; I was with one of my spies who got news from the forest inn." James said with a sigh. "The forest inn? What did the spy say?" Nickolas asked. "He said that a southern detective has been called upon the assistance of King Apollo, the spy who was the inn caretaker told me the Southern detective known as Thomas Jones used his powers that he keeps in his potions and trust me father the way he described me the power, I was devastated."
Thomas, I know that name. "Why did Apollo call him? Did the spy tell you that?" Nickolas asked. "I do not know but I have sent a spy called Edwyn in the north to follow that detective, if the northern king is stirring up a plan against us, we would be the first one to know" "Good job James, you need to keep me updated at all times, tell me what he does and where he goes, I want my spy all around this detective." "Yes, father" James replied.
