Chapter 1: A Dying World
(5000 years before the events in Valisthea, in a distant world known as Ursa)
Magnus stood at the edge of the massive canyon, his eyes fixed on the colossal fortress that loomed on the other side, The fortress stood tall and proud, its dark stone walls rising high into the sky, a stark contrast to the barren landscape that surrounded it A river of lava flowed beneath, at the bottom of the canyon. Ash and soot from the nearby volcanoes clouded the air with mist and smoke. The fortress was under siege for the past few days by the resistance and now that Magnus was finally here, he could put an end to this siege and drive a sword through the heart of his older brother and their king, Ultamalius.
Beside Magnus stood Ellara, his second in command, her eyes scanning the fortress with a mixture of determination and uncertainty. "Do you really think your brother is there?" she asked.
Magnus gazed at one of the tallest spires of the fortress, seemingly aware that his brother was there....watching them." I am unsure of many things Ellara, but not this. I can sense his dark presence anywhere. "
Ellara nodded, her jaw set. "Then we must not delay," she said, turning to the group of warriors gathered behind them. "Send in the airships," she commanded,
As the airships soared towards the fortress, Magnus mind wandered back to the events that had led them to this moment. 14 years ago the blight had appeared in several regions of their world. A disease so vile that it did not affect the living beings but the land itself. The blight was caused by the excessive use of Aether by Ultimalius and his inner circle, including Magnus to prolong their lives. Nothing could grow or live in the blighted lands, so their government lead by their king Ultimalius devised a plan. They would construct massive spaceships capable of traversing the stars in ferrying their people to new home. But what everyone was not aware of, was the fact that Ultimalius intended to bequeath this future only to the rich and powerful. and Magnus and initially agreed to this plan. This was a decision which Magnus soon came to regret, and so to redeem himself he now fights his own brother for the sake of his people and his conscience.
The siege had been raging for days, the resistance fighting fiercely against Ultimalius's forces. And now, finally, they were here, at the heart of the enemy's stronghold, ready to end this once and for all.
He wondered if all this had been for nothing.
Inside the fortress the council chamber was a stark contrast to the chaos outside. It was a cold, dark room. A massive circular stone table was placed in the center of the room surrounded by several chairs. fifteen members of the council of 16 sat in these chairs. The room was illuminated only by the glow of a projection cast on the air by a device in the middle of the table displaying what appeared to be a distant planet . Ultamalius their king, stepped out of the shadows stood beside them. He scanned the faces of the fifteen council members, his eyes cold and emotionless even in the face of extinction
Despite his cold demeanor Ultimalius deeply regretted the fate that would soon befall his people, He was their king after all. Initially he was prepared to take with him as many of his kind in the ark as possible but his younger brother Magnus and put ruin upon his plans. Had Magnus not rebelled against him the people would have never known the reason behind the appearance of the blight and would have continued to follow him as their king for years to come. But now that Magnus and spread the truth, even if he were to take his people with him to a new world, it would only be so long before they dispose of him and instate his brother as their king and with the death of Ultimalius and charcteristic feature of his species....casting magicks would die. This was something Ultimalius could never allow to happen as it was his duty to protect magic by ensuring his own survival.
"Brothers " Ultimalius began, his voice echoing in the chamber, "The time has come to leave this dying husk behind and forge a new world for us"
A murmur of agreement rippled through the council. They had known this day would come, yet the reality was a bitter pill to swallow. One of the Council members spoke up , " The construction of the ark is complete and it stands ready to ferry us, Ultimalius"
Outside, the fortress shook as the siege intensified. pieces of rubble rained down unto the chamber's walls as another explosion shook the fortress. The brother of Ultimalius, driven by desperation and the misguided hope, believed that the death of Ultimalius and the council of sixteen would destroy the blight and had ordered a siege of this fortress.
Ultimalius thought to himself, " He is here. I wonder....how i did not sense that before ? "
Suddenly, the chamber doors burst open, and the Magnus stormed in flanked by more than a dozen warriors, his eyes blazing with fury, "Ultimalius!" he roared, "Your reign ends now!"
But Ultimalius merely raised a hand, a beam of violet pulsing energy struck Magnus in the chest sending him flying across the chamber, he hit the wall with a sickening crunch. "Our reign is eternal, but yours....yours is but a fleeting moment in history "
Ultimalius opened a portal in far side of the chamber. The council members rose from their seats and shuffled into the portal, disappearing one by one into the swirling vortex. Ultimalius gazed at his brother, his face showing sadness for but a moment, " How i wish you would have joined me, brother"
Outside the fortress, a massive spaceship emerged from the ground, sending shockwaves resonating throught the land. A bright beam of energy emanated from the ship. Ellara who was staring at the spaceship from the clif knew exactly what that beam was and she knew they had lost, "Make a better world than ours, Ultimalius", she whispered, her voice barely audible over the din of battle. The bright beam grew brighter and brighter until it engulfed the entire battlefield, scorching everything in its path.
Inside the ship, Ultimalius gazed at the surface of their planet, Ursa. Its bright blue surface now darkened with a pall of blight. Ultimalius's eyes were filled with tears. His brother was only person who truly understood him and cared for him in all these years. Even after everything Magnus had done, Ultimalius still wanted him to be here but he knew it was impossible. Trying to convince Magnus was a gool's errand. He turned to the other members of his council, " Now, we shall begin our long slumber and wait for out ark to complete this long journey".
As the ship disappeared into the vastness of space, Magnus body lay broken on the chamber floor. He struggled to move and writhed in pain. His legs were shattered from a large piece of rubble which had fallen on him. His vision blurred and his limbs were numb. He knew that he had failed, that his brother had won. He only hoped that someday, someone would take up his sword and kill Ultima
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