The Story:
The great war had taken a toll on the kingdom of Balthur. For eight years, thousands of men were sent to their deaths without a resolution in sight. It all began when Xarus, prince of Calmir, usurped his father's throne and murdered his entire family, making sure nobody would be able to claim the throne. He torn his kingdom in half. Those who served the new King Xarus mercilessly slaughtered all who defied him. Word spread throughout the lands of King Xarus' inhumane actions, and a great army, made up of the three western kingdoms, Balthur, Aisha, and Derethor, marched towards Calmir in hopes of freeing its people from the unjust tyranny that was wrought upon them.
For six days and six nights the great army marched towards Calmir, and in that time, word had reached the city that a war was coming. Xarus took no time to muster his guards and rally his men to face the western armies head-on. Direly in need for more men, he stated that all boys over the age of twelve were to go to the armory in order to be suited for war. Many of these boys were farmers who worked on the outskirts of town. Hardly any of them had ever held a sword, let alone swung one at a man. The swords, weighing more than half of what some of the boys weighed, seemed almost impossible to lift. Xarus motivated the boys by whipping them until they held the sword high in the air. Wildlings, who had owed a debt to the former king of Calmir, heeded Xarus' call, and they set traps in the fields and woods, the places that they knew the best.
On the seventh day, the western armies finally arrived. The triumphant sound of horns could be heard throughout the entire city of Calmir, and hopeless citizens looked in awe as they saw their saviors peek over the hilltop. Xarus marched his own army out onto the battlefield, leading the charge. As despicable as he was, Xarus never hid in the face of battle. He let out a vicious roar and charged full-speed towards Torin, the king of Balthur. His men followed, drawing their swords and letting out their own war cries. Torin, king of Balthur and leader of the western armies, rose his sword high and yelled, "To victory!" He charged towards Xarus, and 20,000 men followed behind him. The ground shook and a thunderous sound roared throughout the battlefield as the two sides met. Hundreds were impaled instantly, even more flew off of their horses, but Torin and Xarus, masters of war, stayed upright and calm in the midst of the chaos. They located each other on the field, and ran towards one another. The two fought an epic duel, neither one ever waning, until the sun began to set. The bloody field began to darken, but still Torin and Xarus fought. Finally, when it appeared as though neither side had an advantage, Xarus realized his. He was decades younger than Torin, and after a long and strenuous fight, exhaustion crept into the king of Balthur. Xarus wasted no time in seizing the opportunity. He moved side to side, making Torin swing wildly and miss each time until he could no longer swing his sword. When old age finally caught up to Torin, he fell to his knees, breathing heavily, and watched as Xarus swung a large sword into his heart. The king of Balthur was dead, and the day had been won by Xarus.
Leaderless, the remainder of the western armies quickly fell to the might and power of Xarus. Some were able to escape, but most were captured and beheaded publicly. The wildlings trapped the fleeing soldiers in the forest and diverted them back to Xarus' army. The prisoners' heads were nailed onto the door of every house to remind the citizens to never defy their one and true king. When news of King Torin's death reached Balthur, Prince Aaros swore revenge on Xarus and knew that it was his duty to end the tyrant's rule. For years, the two attacked the other's kingdom, besieging the walls and slaughtering thousands of men. As much destruction as the two inflicted upon the other's kingdom, the battles never stopped. When it seemed as though there were no soldiers left, more men were found. When all the resources had been used up and nothing was left to make weapons, more iron and steel was brought in. The two kings had sank their kingdoms into debts greater than ever imaginable, but still they fought on. Xarus was determined to assert his dominance over the entire realm, and Aaros would never stop fighting for revenge.
Years passed, and finally, Xarus ran out of men. Those who he had once called allies turned their backs on him, realizing just how senseless his campaign was. They joined forces with Aaros and overran Calmir, sending Xarus fleeing to the frozen islands in the north. Aaros had not gotten his revenge, but the war had ended, and his people were now safe. Slowly but steadily they began rebuilding their ruined kingdom. It took years, but eventually they brought it back to what it once was. Fifteen years after the start of the war, the kingdom of Balthur was finally in a state of peace. Not everything was as it should have been, however. There were rumors in the dark. Whispers of evil creatures crawling out of the depths of Hell to torment the inhabitants of earth. Few believed the rumors; these creatures were like the ones from the old folk tales, and nobody was going to believe that they actually existed. As a new age emerged for Balthur, the vigilance of the kingdom's protectors waned. And in that time, when soldiers let down their guard and kings spent their days bathing in their gold, the armies of Hell readied their forces. The day of reckoning was coming, and the ignorance of men would cost them dearly.
Post has been edited 4 time(s), last time on Aug 18 2014, 2:18 pm by Dem0n.
