A Dying World
(5000 years before the events in Valisthea, in the distant world of Ursa)
Magnus stood at the edge of the massive canyon, his eyes fixed upon 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. The skies thundered and crackled with lightning. A river of lava flowed beneath, at the bottom of the canyon.
Magnus coughed from inhaling the ash and soot from the nearby volcanoes clouded the air with mist and smoke. He knew the longer they stayed outside the worse their health would get. Magnus would not face the worst of it but his troops definitely would. The fortress had been 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.
Magnus started the resistance in hopes that he could one day kill their king, Ultimalius and put an end to the spread of the blight.
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 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. Their ancestors had been using the Aether surrounding them for eons without any consequences...until now.
Magnus of course knew the reason. They had committed an unforgivable atrocity. They were filled with malice and sought to conquer death itself. They eventually succeeded in this but in the wake of their success they unknowingly unleashed the blight which began to spread rapidly throughout their lands.
No plants nor animals could grow or live in these blighted lands, so their their king, Ultimalius devised a plan. They would construct massive spaceships capable of traversing the stars and 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 hoping to save his species 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. The fortress was impenatrable. Ultimalius and his inner circle had taken refuge in the fortress having no other safe place.
Now that they were finally here, at the heart of the enemy's stronghold, they could end this once and for all.
Magnus eyes wavered for a moment, going pale.
" What if the blight does not stop even after killing them ? Will i need to die as well for the blight eradicated ? " He thought to himself as 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. Silver chalices filled with a viscous silvery liquid were placed at the table, in front of each council member.
Every single member there were filled with fear and impatience, awaiting the order from their king for departing from this doomed planet.
The room was illuminated only by the soft glow of a projection cast on the air by a spherical device in the middle of the table displaying what appeared to be a distant planet.
After several minutes the door to the chamber opened and Ultamalius their king, stepped out of the shadows stood beside them at the center of the room. He scanned the faces of the fifteen council members, noting each of their expressions ensuring all of them were worthy to follow him into this new world. His eyes cold and emotionless even in the face of extinction.
" Not one of them is worthy of embarking on this journey, yet i am forced to choose them" Ultimalius thought to himself as he felt disappointment when he gazed at the eyes of his closest allies.
Some members of the council where kings and queens who ruled distant lands and held immense power, while others were wealthy lords and ladies of empire. One individual however was an exception.
Ultimalius turned his gaze towards a young woman at the end of the table.His eyes burning with rage as he held his gaze. The woman however seemed unbothered and casualy drank from the chalice in front of her. She gave him a sly smirk as she licked the silvery liquid which glistened on her dark blue lips.
As much as he hated this woman, Ultimalius was forced to take her with him to this new world. She had a pivotal role to play in their future. She was the only exceptional case in this case. Ultimalius even considered her a threat to him.
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, his species would loose the ability to cast magick.. This was something Ultimalius could never allow to happen.
Ensuring their source of sovereignty by guarding their bloodline was the duty of all members of the royal family and Ultimalius had no intention of breaking this long standing rule. He had survive...for the sake protecting the ability that enabled his people to use magick.
"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, "Oh... He is here. I wonder....how i did not sense that before.... "
Suddenly, the chamber doors burst open, sending the massive doors flying acorss the room. Magnus stormed the chamber 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 before he could put up a forcefield, 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 the history of our people "
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, who was struggling and groaning in pain as tried to remove the piece of rubble trapping him to the floor. Ultimalius's 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 throughout the land. A bright beam of energy emanated from the ship. Ellara who was staring at the spaceship from the cliff 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