Legends of an unknown past

Legends of an unknown past

Prologue

A Hero’s final breath

There was an endless war raging on in the planet called Ethra. The countless battles devastated the once beautiful landscape, which now lay stained under a dark glow that resonates from the plains, reflecting the lost memories of those that rest there.

We bring you to the battle of Rauthian (Ra-ooth-eye-Anne) City. The Tachiagari hikari no hōō -

The Phoenixes of Rising Light and their allies, the Piasu-en no doragonzu - Dragons of the Piercing Flame surrounded the entrance to the stronghold and stretched down the plane, while they awaited their enemies, the Jikogu no sabaki no ha - Blades of Infernal Judgment and the Hason shita kage no akuma - Demons of the Corrupted Shadow (more on these factions later).

It is nightfall. The leader of the Phoenixes, Galiethor (Guh-Lie-eth-oar) (a man of average height, with short silverish hair and goatee with a semi-long beard. The wrinkles in his face showed wisdom and age, yet there was still a youth that resonates within his eyes.) stood at the front gate with his son Gilford (a slightly taller man with long black hair. He had broad shoulders and a prominent build to his core. He was youthful, but those deep color changing sapphire gray eyes reflected the wisdom through the painful memories that have taught him things well beyond his years.).

They were giving a battle speech before the oncoming enemy approached. The speech was started by Galiethor, whom cleared his throat while he solemnly stared at the ground. Slowly, he raises his head up. With a sadness seen shifting behind the resonating youth in his eyes, he begins to speak.“We all knew this day was coming. Many have lost their lives. Fathers have lost their daughters, and mothers their sons. Entire cities have been destroyed, and the hearts of loved ones now lay forever broken. We must fight to eradicate this evil that thrusts upon us their cruel judgment!”. After that sentence, Galiethor’s son Gilford takes over the speech. He stands up from the oak tree to the far left he was resting upon. For a second, he stood there still, his eyes gazing into the distance. After a moment of silence, he begins to speak. “A life of slavery and darkness is not what we deserve. We were promised paradise, but we live in the remnants of a destroyed utopia. However, there is still a way out. We must fight to preserve the last piece of peace that we have retained, as it is upon this that the enemy feasts. We must protect the last bit of hope and innocence we have left, for without it, we have nothing left to cherish. I will not let these good people perish! All these years, and finally... it is today that we finally reach a conclusion to this injustice that has stained the once beautiful landscape that generations of our families have lived in. This is not the way we were meant to live. We have struggled to survive longer then most of us have been alive, for it is that last fragment of peace that we strive, to keep the sparks burning on... kindling the fires of hope and warming the soul... Let this dream live on...”. After that sentence, a large army approaches over the hills in the distance. Galiethor finishes off the speech “Here they come, we shall not rest until every last one of them have paid back their debts. With the strength of our forefathers, we shall fight! Raise your weapons and charge forth to bring the blades of freedom, as the gamble of justice comes crashing down... It is now that we illuminate the shroud of darkness they have used to cover our world, so that once again we may see the light!”. Everyone cheers as they raise their weapons into the air. It is now that the armies of the Phoenixes and Dragons charge through the plains towards their enemies.

Gilford jumps up, sprouting black wings from his back and flies into the sky, and then drops down into the crowd of enemies, sticking his massive sword in the ground, creating a massive force barrier that sends many soldiers flying into the distance. He then withdraws his sword and swings it around himself, slaying any soldier within reach of his blade. As the enemies fill the air, Galiethor takes his blade and jams it through the chest of a dark dragon warrior flying above his head. The dragon keeps on flying, dragging Galiethor into the air with him. The old man then withdraws his blade, swings around to the creatures back and impales his blade into the center of its head, sending its lifeless body plummeting to the ground. He then takes his blade and charges at the soldiers below. With the scourge of anger, he thrusts his blade toward the ground, impaling a soldier of the Blades. He hits the ground with a thud, and a crater is formed to clear his surroundings. Next, he withdraws his blade, and swings it around to decapitate the soldiers creeping up behind him. Meanwhile, Gilford jumps into the air, throws his sword into the ground, spins around as he charges energy into his hand, and swings his arm to send 7 bright blue beams of force to impale 7 soldiers, which then explode, eradicating everyone within the point of impact. He then drops to the ground, withdraws his blade and uses it to pole vault into the air, where he flips and delivers the edge of his blade to the ground, splitting the earth and shooting a line of energy in front of him, and running through a row of soldiers in front of him, with a force sending those around flying through the mass of troops, and leaving a deep crevice within the ground adjacent to his point of impact. A man with blue hair approaches over the hills, with sapphire blue armor, a ruby red sword with a golden dragon on its hilt, and a glowing blue draconic crest embedded in his forehead and upon his breastplate. His eyes were a deep and luxurious ruby red with a black gash in the center of his eyes to represent his pupils. His face was that of a youthful adult, but it was not hard to tell that beneath that face held much more then his youthful appearance would seem. Deep inside the complexions of his face, his true age was seen, reflecting his years of experience beyond his finely carved features. His eyes held a glow of everlasting sorrow, but an equally preserved sense of joy and passion hidden within. Suddenly, a voice was heard from across the field. “Ryoku! (Ree Oh Koo) It’s about time you join the battle!”, says Gilford in a friendly tone. “I figure I would give you lazy birds a chance to work out a little bit. We all know you need it!” Ryoku replies with a slight grin on his face. He descends into the battle with his sword spinning in an unseen cyclone striking the soldiers on the ground where he was landing, clearing them out of his path. His eyes flash brightly red as he transforms into a dragon. His body grows in size as his skin turns to scales and his shape takes into form. The color of his scales match that of his armor, for his armor was his scales, forming back into their native state. His hands curved, and shifted into the growth of talons. From his back end protruded a tail. His eyes went from the ruby red they were, and expanded to a bright flurry of orange and red. His iris became as a flame, as those flames were flickering around the slit of his pupil. Horns popped out of the top of his head, and his wings expanded. It was now that he was in his native form... A Dragon of immense size. After his transformation, he swings his blade-like talons, ripping through the soldiers that have met the unfortunate circumstances to cross his path. As he swings his talons back, his tail clears his back end, and he then flies up, flips around, and swoops down to snatch a mouthful of soldiers that he grinds with his razor sharp teeth. The occasional stream of flame can be seen squirting through his nostrils and roasting a group of troops.

The battle rages on for many hours. The casualties are many, and the survivors a few. The fields are ablaze and temperatures are rising. 100′s of Demons and Blades move in to overtake the survivors of the Phoenixes and the Dragons. The remaining survivors were Gilford, Galiethor, and Ryoku. They were accompanied by 2 foot soldiers, natively human, whom have already showed that their abilities were beyond the average man. “We can not let them take the city! To take the city means total control!” says Galiethor. “Fall Back. Defend the Gate!” He says, as they run towards the gate. Many chase afterward. A faint, eerie voice was heard over the screams and battle cries. The voice was of Ikathra (E Kah THRuh), the leader of the Demons, who also commands the Blades. He was a pure black dragon, with dark red eyes. His form blended with the shadows of the night, and the mere sight was enough to give one fright. He slowly drifts into the background, barely beyond normal view. At this time, he begins to confront his army. “We cannot hope to overtake the city, unless Galiethor and his son are taken out of the picture... After their deaths, morale will drop and the survivors would be easy targets. We must close in on them and take them out, for while they survive... the gate... it shall remain...” He says to his generals. After this, Ikathra and his generals swarm in towards the survivors.

“This may be our last battle.” says Galiethor. “I’m going to charge in and buy us some time. It has been an honor fighting with you fine men. Please, do not let my death be in vain. Utilize this moment as a chance to infiltrate the ranks and end this war...” As Galiethor says this, he charges towards Ikathra. A tear is seen rolling down the cheek of one of the soldiers as Galiethor charges blindly into the masses. He draws his sword and yells, “Fight me you coward. There is no great victory if a battle is won with shear numbers!”.

“Very well, I will take care of you myself.” As Ikathra says this, the fight between him and Galiethor starts. Galiethor protrudes wings with the color of a vibrant red and orange sunset from his back, and they both rise into the air, attacking each other and blocking or dodging each incoming shot as a flurry of powerful attacks fly towards them both. Everyone on the battlefield, no matter the side, sat there and watched the incredible battle. Each attack was graceful and filled with pure, raw power. Everyone gazes at the battle in awe, as the sights of the blasts of energy create a cyclone in the view, mixed with the radiant glow like a vibrant sunset blending in with the shadow of the night. Galiethor swings to Ikathra’s back to deliver his sword, but just misses as Ikathra swings around to deliver his blade like talons to Galiethor’s body, only to meet the blade of his sword. Galiethor then swings his sword up, just to be parried by a swift swipe of Ikathra’s claws. The battle raged on, with minor nicks and cuts here and there between each other, but none yet has succeeded in overpowering the other. Meanwhile, Gilford, Ryoku, and the others were taking care of the others in the distance.“Let us end these games.” says Ikathra, with a mischievous grin upon his ugly face. As the smug grin forms upon his face, Ikathra’s generals start swarming in from behind. Now surrounded, he tries to quickly think of an escape. Quickly, he dashes through a small gap in between 2 of them and delivers his blade through the center of one, but unfortunately his efforts were useless. Ikathra sped behind him and kicked him into the group of his generals, who are now tossing him back and forth with their attacks like a pinball. He recovers and delivers a blast from a slash of his sword that frees him from their grasp. He charges after Ikathra, but as he was charging, the survivors of Ikathra’s ranks surrounded him. As soon as Gilford sees this, he rushes up to aide his father, but it was of no use. As he sped up, dark flames were seen flowing from Ikathra’s body and through his eyes. He lets out a blast of fire with his mouth. A dark beam of energy forms within his horns and releases it, as the blasts simultaneously follow through and they both make their way to hit Galiethor. As soon as the blast hits, it creates a blinding light mixed with a darkening shadow too dark to see through. The power from the blast sends Gilford back to the ground next to Ryoku. As the energy dissipates, Only the sword of Galiethor remains, which now lies a few feet in front of them. The generals are nowhere to be found.

Gilford stares angrily at Ikathra, with a burning sensation of revenge circulating through his body with every beat of his racing heart. His heart beat starts to slow, and his expression turns grim. “My turn” he says coldly, as he picks up his father’s blade and charges towards Ikathra. “Gilford, what do you think you’re doing? You will share the same fate if we don’t stick together!” Ryoku yells as Gilford continues his charge. “Then so be it. Ryoku, it has been an honor serving with you. Take care of everyone. This ends here.” Gilford says in a calm, but dark and solemn tone as he prepares to strike with his father’s blade in one hand and his own in another. “Then so be it.” Ryoku replies as he defends the gates from the remaining minions. Gilford jumps into the air and releases his black wings and charges towards Ikathra while his energy builds up and circulates throughout his body and his swords. “Lets finish this!” Gilford yells. As Ikathra readies his attack, 2 blades swing, leaving an X-shaped wound on his chest. “You shall join your father in the nether-realm! I will tear you into little pieces and feed them to my pets! I will take your blades, and use them to pick my teeth... You will not survive. You will not be remembered. You will be another pile of bones in the graveyard. You... will.....” but before Ikathra could finish his sentence, Gilford turns around and backhands Ikathra across the face with the flat end of his blade, sending him falling back a yard or 2. Ikathra screams as he charges at Gilford. His talons flailing like a mad man towards Gilford, only to see that each shot is blocked. Finally, an attack lands as he grazes Gilford’s chest, leaving 3 gashes. “If I die, I’m taking you with me...” says Gilford with the same expression of pain and realization. Gilford spins around to get into position, and swings both swords in an upward motion, then brings them to his side, flipping his grip around and swings them in a horizontal spinning motion, as he brings the other to stab Ikathra in the side, but it is no use as he blocks the shots and slashes Gilford’s arm. Gilford proceeds to charge his next attack as if nothing happened. Gilford flips his grip back to normal and swings his swords upward in a diagonal motion as a beam of energy proceeds towards Ikathra. The shots graze his arm as the other snaps one of his claws as he raised his hands up to block the beam. He then brings the blades down in a diagonal motion opposite of his previous swing, but the blast that was sent through the blades was deflected by Ikathra’s other claw. Ikathra inspects the damage. Afterward, he yells with a blatant animosity present in his voice. “Gilford, your deeds shall not go unpunished! Say hello to your father for me when you reach the nether realm!”. Ikathra then swings his arms back and charges an energy blast. First fire, then electricity, then water and ice, then darkness, and finally pure spiritual energy all charged into one massive blast. While Ikathra charges his blast, Gilford crosses his blades in a cross shape and concentrates his energy into them, embracing for the upcoming attack.

Meanwhile, Ryoku, and the 2 surviving soldiers, a private named Lionel (Lion L)and a general named Barkur (Bark ooh ir) hold the gate from the frenzy of Blades and Demons charging at them to get their piece of the city. Ryoku sees a bright light in the corner of his eyes. He looks up into the sky to see Ikathra and Gilford both charging there energy. “Look” He says, pointing to the sky. Everyone, Dragons, Phoenixes, Blades, Demons, and even citizens living inside Rauthian City look up to see the 2 in their miraculous battle. Ikathra releases his blast with everything he has. When the blast hits Gilford’s swords, he releases most of his energy into the blades to withstand the blast. Both now tired, they take a moment to regenerate. “It looks as though we are about even.” Gilford says, breathing heavily. “That’s what you think...” replies Ikathra, breathing equally as hard, but trying even harder to hide his fading strength. “Ryoku, Barkur, Lionel. Head inside the city and close the gates” Gilford yells as his disgruntled face concentrates on Ikathra. “What do you plan on doing, prince Gilford?” Lionel asks with worry present in his voice. “Settling this once and for all...” Gilford replies, as he puts the 2 swords together and charges every last bit of life and energy into them. Ikathra in the meantime charges everything into his unbroken talon. As Ryoku and the others close the gate, Gilford lets all his energy out into Ikathra, surrounding him by an immense turquoise blue and a sacred golden energy. Ikathra does the same as he swings his talon at Gilford and lets out the blast of darkened energy charged within it. A dark blast of black and blood red energy is seen piercing through the middle and out through the back of Gilford’s blast. The blast of them both engulfs the battlefield, eradicating everything in its path. As the immense blast hits the front gates, it vanishes, leaving no trace of either of the 2. Suddenly, Gilford and his father’s blade crash into the ground by the gate.

The soldiers stare at Ryoku with a confounding gaze, wondering as to why his face turned so pale. One of them asked, “What’s wrong?”. Ryoku remains silent. The soldier asks again. Ryoku turns around and pauses for a moment. A small, silent phrase is uttered from his lips, as his ghost-like face grows even paler, as if in disbelief.

…...”Gilford... is dead”......

Everyone’s weapons come crashing down on the ground. A bell is heard ringing in the background, as everyone closed their doors to mourn in a private state of sad serenity.

My name is Gilford... and this... is my legend...