FOURTH INTERLUDE – SLUMBER & STRANGER


    The Crucifire Sword was not seen for some time after Phaelstrom’s death. The whole world mourned the loss of the Crucifire King but nothing like the magical tools he had created. They were bonded to him as a part of the magic. Once that bond was broken the artifacts became wild and vulnerable to the Supreme Dichotomy’s covenants. The Crucifire Sword quickly fell into rumor and legend. In reality, it slept, a realm away, awaiting for its hero to be reborn.


    Malohrin’s reign over MagnaThora as Dragon Emperor lasted terribly long. He had found a way to prolong his life and outlast his own heirs. He revealed his secret to nobody, but more and more he became a recluse. And so, MagnaThora’s Dark Age crept on through time, enabled by those who lived in fear and indifference.


    It did not happen overnight, but soon the civil unrest grew to a boiling point, houses across the kingdoms revolted against the Dragon Empire. The Lion Kingdom along with the Stag and Steed Kingdoms declared their own kings and their independence from the empire. Recent alliances strained to the verge of collapse while old alliances searched for a way to re-forge their bonds.


    Rebellion sparked with one of the Dragon Emperor’s very own daughters, Alura. When war called the kingdoms to arms, they had to decide between oppression and freedom. The kingdoms chose to fight. The only problem was the armies did not fight together. There was bad blood between most of the kingdoms and their houses. Too much had happened during the reign of the dragon kingdom, too much lost.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    The Dragon Emperor’s real downfall was slavery, which wouldn’t be found in any of the history books. The emperor was always to quick to use slavery as an answer for insubordination. People began to get displaced all over MagnaThora, away from their families and loved ones. Separated and abandoned to a life of servitude, until freed either by a rebel king or a benevolent noblemen. And then where does that leave them?


    The people were scattered and scared. People lost their home and their heritage. There became folk from no kingdom. Those who had no recollection of their past, no idea where they came from, or what kingdom they hailed from, no kingdom to call home, nameless towns along the road, across the countryside.


    One man lived amongst these small towns with no family or past. He had no surname. No friends. In fact, the only definable quality about him besides warrior was his soft blond hair wisping wildly in the wind. Since he could remember, he wandered around all over.


    For some time, he thought he might have roots in the Canine Kingdom, but he never had a four-legged companion to call his own. He was the child of no in-particular kingdom. He was the world’s son. And with that lonely curse came a unique gift. Every day that he walked, he felt some kind of darkness growing, not in himself, but in the world changing around him.


    He felt the evil brewing, growing in the world. He could not explain it, but he knew it to be true. So, instinctually, he began to make his way south. One day he saw a dragon in the sky. As far away as he was, it looked larger than a tower. Fascinated, he followed the strange flying beast.


    Before long, he lost it in the clouds and stumbled upon hundreds of thousands of soldiers fighting. An alliance of all free man, brought together to save their land from evil. Without hesitation, the warrior pulled out his sword and joined the fight. He knew right away. This is what he had been waiting for.