Preface
Centuries ago, the Empire of Unicorinth ruled the world of Everi. Their castle sat in the Red Sea, shining pearlescent in the sun from the seashells from which it was made. The Kovan Seat was the gift of the first Emperor Unicorinth, Ferdinan, to his wife, Jessamine, before the birth of their second son.
Each of the eight regions of the empire provided the Seat with the contracted portion of their provisions. Failure to comply led to harsh punishments. It was the responsibility of the Crowned Prince to round up and arrest any violators for proceedings before the Royal Court of the Kovan Seat.
Silence filled the Kovan Seat’s throne room as Crown Prince Dover Unicorinth waited for the proceedings to begin. His great wings dragged the floor as he paced across the dais.
His talons clicked irritatingly with each step. He schooled his bearing while he returned to his place of honor, where he stood every court day since his eighteenth name day. Standing next to his mother, Empress Jessamine Vibia Unicorinth, he impatiently watched as the traitors were ushered in, his best friend among them. Today would be different; he was furious with his parents. His attention was captured by the pained expression on his friend’s face; Prince Dover waited for the magistrate to read the charges.
Emperor Ferdinan Froi Unicorinth, his father, ruled over the fate of Prince Dover’s best friend and his household unemotionally. Dover maintained his stiff royal posture as he quietly listened to the cases being read aloud, wincing as they stated each. Inside his head, however, he wanted to scream. The infractions that were read were outrageous, insensitive, and unfounded.
“Oliver Fridri, Lord of Fridri Manor, I charge your household with treason. You failed to offer the contracted goods to the Kovan Seat for the past three years. Evading the Qapha when wanted for questioning did not help your case. Your son’s absence from mandatory testing after elementary studies is unacceptable.”
“These actions have sealed your fate. As a warning to the people who have yet to comply, we shall make an example of you.” The magistrate bowed to the Emperor, his duties discharged for the moment. Prince Dover thought back to the time when his friend should have attended the mandatory testing.
Prince Dover had ridden to the manor to pick up his friend so they could be together when they began their testing. The Kovan Seat required all citizens to participate in magical trials after completing their elementary studies.
Those found to have the dark gifts desired by the empire were taken and taught to embrace and nurture the skills. These elite magi came to be known as the Uni. All the regions submitted to the testing. Failure to comply led to the stripping of wealth and titles and imprisonment of both child and parent.
Prince Dover returned his attention to his father when his rough voice sounded like a death bell. The throne room turned red with Dover’s anger as the emperor said, “We have sentenced your household to death by hanging. You have one day to bring your affairs into order. May your successor fair better than you.” Emperor Unicorinth dismissed the group into the care of the Qapha, who took them back into the torture chamber.
Dover scurried from the throne room when the meeting concluded. His composure shattered; anger laced every movement he made. I must go to Sam. He has to know I did everything I could to prevent this! Finally, Dover reached the doors that led to the lower dungeon and found himself blocked by the Qapha on duty.
“My son, I cannot allow you to go into the dungeons. You will not converse with traitors no matter how close they were to you.” Empress Unicorinth’s voice was soft but stern in her edict. Dover turned to face his mother; anguish filled his features.
“You knew, Mother. They could barely provide for themselves, much less the Kovan Seat! You noticed they couldn’t harvest the crops before they rotted. You refused to send them any help. Sam had no alternative but to help his house. It wasn’t a choice of theirs! You forced their hand!” He resumed his aggressive stance in front of the Qapha, ready to force his way through the door.
Dover felt an icy splash of water flowing down from his head as he was rendered motionless by his mother’s magic. Empress Jessamine moved to his shoulder and whispered into his ear, “You are my son. I cannot allow you to destroy this empire; your father and I have worked to unite.”
“You will not besmirch our reputation by going into a cell and begging the forgiveness of a commoner. Instead, act like the Prince Heir of the Unicorinth Empire, go upstairs, and attend the small council meeting with your father.” Her anger flowed out of her mouth in a hiss that he had not heard since his boyhood.
The Empress backed away from her son and moved her hand in the air. The Prince stayed rigid and was swept horizontally, levitating in midair. “Take him to his room.” She sniped to a nearby Qapha. “He will stay frozen until morning. By then, everything will be over.” The addressed Qapha stepped forward and began pushing the frozen Prince-cicle down the hall. Jessamine assessed the remaining soldier and nodded. “None will enter the cells except the magi in charge of their possessions till the execution. None.” Saluting, the Qapha bowed and resumed his watch.
The executioner discharged his gruesome duties at dawn. Prince Dover was forced to view the spectacle from the closest window of his apartments, giving him the best view of his dear friend’s demise. Tears streamed down his face as he watched the executioner kick the stool from under the three family members.
They were placed on the wall to swing in the breeze. There the family served as a reminder of the repercussions that non-compliance in the empire causes. Long after they released Dover, he remained to stare out the window. Watching his best friend hanging like curing meat on the wall sapped the Prince of any wish to move.
As night fell, he forced himself to tear his gaze from his friend. Dover realized that even with his skills, he could never beat his family. Fear gripped his heart, and he understood the desire flowing through his mind. A page brought him the news from his parents; he was to leave the Kovan Seat at once. They would never be able to approve such a useless, magic-less son as the heir to the empire. Instead, his little brother would be crowned as heir upon his fifteenth name day.
The idea of an empire filled with light magic, mercy, and supportive nobles followed him as he fled. A woman not touched by the darkness was hard to find but necessary to his pursuit. Her strength, power, purity, and determination would help him build the ideal empire. An empire filled with equality, light, mercy, and love.
He packed only the most necessary items with his new goals in mind. First, he ran to the stables and saddled his stallion. Then, as quick as he could, he rode to the shores of the Kovan Island, to the docks, where he caught a schooner. Sitting in the modest suite as the vessel raced across the ocean, his stallion in the cargo, he made plans for his crusade. Then, as they docked in a little bay town at the edge of the Blue Waste, he began his course.
Dover’s expedition would lead him from desert to ocean and into the hills. Across the plains into the forest, north to the ice, and west to the mountains. Finally, he ended up on the plains of Sokol after many trying years.
He married the Queen of Sokol and began raising a family there. Unfortunately, his own family came against him to destroy the threat to their dark empire and failed. All but one were killed in the Light in the Darkness battle.
Those children born in generations to come from the Sokol line would be the start of many generations of descendants that would produce the necessary changes over the centuries.
Eventually, they would produce the ones who would bring about the defeat of the Darkness for good. They would break the cycle of gloom and create The Light to illuminate the world.
Only through
Darkness and
Despair will
the Light
shine!
