The Great Demonic Host
For as long as history had been recorded, there had been whispers of demons. Stories of mischievous and malevolent non-human beings of great power. Most people thought them a myth, and even among those who did believe, few agreed on their origin.
According to some, they were humans cursed for their misdeeds. Others viewed them as coming from beyond Oros; from beyond the doldrums of the seas or the impassable mountains of the north. But one year ago, the question was answered.
In Aberle, the day had started like any other day. The sun shone brightly in the sky as its rays pierced through the clouds. Agathor, who at that time was little more than a knight in the Royal Guards, had not long begun his daily training regime when the clouds in the sky dissipated and the sun was blacked out by a great miasma.
Not long after this, far off in the distance, a singular blinding light, strong enough to penetrate through the miasma, appeared. It seemed to split the world in two. The phenomenon lasted for only a day before disappearing, returning the sky to normal.
But unbeknownst to all but those unlucky enough to be near the light, this was in fact the opening of a passage that linked this world to another. By the time the passage had closed over a million otherworldly creatures had already descended upon this world. These creatures came to be identified as demons, the same as those in the stories, and their group became known as the Great Demonic Host.
Knowledge of the Great Demonic Host came to Aberle along with news of the annihilation of the Stotrinh, the capital of the Kingdom of Brazon. The rest of the kingdom soon followed. Millions of lives were extinguished just like that. Humanity was forced into action and soon a coalition uniting all the realms of Oros was formed.
As great armies mustered, priests and monks from every faith and creed appealed to their gods for salvation. At the heart of these attempts were seven swords, known collectively as the Great Swords of Oros. One sword for each realm.
And while each faith had different stories of their origin and purpose, all agreed on one point: these ancient swords possessed great might and were the only hope of defeating the demons. But these swords had not recognised a wielder for countless years, and some doubted they ever would again.
In Hatalia, for instance, the Sacred Temple sought to find a wielder for the Thorn Sword. All people from across Hatalia and beyond were invited to attempt to lift the blade from its sheath, but none succeeded. Including Agathor.
That is until Gatmore, a prodigious knight who had already mastered the Sixth Form of the Hatalian Sword and Body Art by 26 years of age, and who had been tempering himself in the Northern Mountains, returned to Aberle.
He managed to draw the Thorn Sword from its sheath and gained great power. Indeed, when he drew the sword, all Nine Forms of the immensely powerful Thorn Sword and Body Art, from which the Hatalian technique was derived, became known to Gatmore.
The Thorn Sword and Body Art, and by extension the Hatalian technique, was based on the principle of striking the enemy first and doing so with overwhelming power. While it found itself at somewhat of a disadvantage in long, drawn-out battles, it reigned supreme in one-on-one fights.
Gatmore with his newfound strength was swiftly appointed as the Knight-Protector of Hatalia, an ancient position ranking below only the King.
Similar events took place in the other realms of Oros and before long the surviving six realms had found wielders for their respective swords. The Six Heroes were born.
But still, defeat characterised the war effort. Despite the added strength of the Six Heroes, the Great Demonic Host continued crushing armies and razing countless more towns and cities, marching onwards seemingly without direction.
Indeed, within the Great Demonic Host were entities as strong as the Six Heroes. These came to be known in Oros as the Demon Generals. And the leader of the Host, the Demon King, seemed to be even stronger.
Agathor, as a knight of Hatalia, at the young age of 22, fought bravely in many battles, earning distinction among his comrades and admiration among the people of Oros. While far from possessing the strength of the Six Heroes, Agathor's mind and blade became shaper with every battle.
In the first couple of months of the war, he achieved the Fifth Form of the Hatalian technique. A few months later, he advanced to the Sixth Form and in so doing matched Gatmore's record and did so at an even younger age. He even earned the title 'Agathor the Gallant.' But it was never enough.
However, six months ago, his fortunes, and the fortunes of humanity, changed. Agathor was taking part in an expedition to the ruins of Stotrinh in Brazon. They were there to search for survivors, gather intelligence on the Great Demonic Host, and annihilate any rogue demons.
While walking through that once-great city, Agathor heard a voice ring out in his mind. It directed him through Strotrinh's destroyed streets to the remains of what seemed to be a previously unassuming house.
In the collapsed house, underneath considerable rubble, was a hidden passageway. If not for the pull coming from within Agathor's mind, he doubted if anybody would have located it.
He proceeded down the passageway. At its end was what appeared to be a shrine. And centered in that shrine was a shimmering white blade.
Agathor recognised it immediately as the Marezen Sword, the Sword of the Kingdom of Brazon. Only the Great Swords of Oros contained such majesty and power. Though unfortunately, it had had little opportunity to demonstrate its might before the city above was unexpectedly wiped out.
Agathor reached out for the sword which seemed to stir in anticipation. He placed his hand firmly on the hilt and anxiously drew the blade from its sheath. To his amazement, there was no resistance; the blade exited seamlessly.
In an instant, the complete Nine Forms of the Marezen Sword and Body Art imprinted in Agathor's mind. He immediately felt as if he could use this technique as if he had practiced it 10,000 times.
The Marezen technique, in contrast to the Thorn and Hatalian techniques, favoured stamina and the formlessness of the sword. If the Thorn and Hatalian techniques were like a strike of lightning, the Marezen technique was like an ever-constant river burrowing through a mountain.
While ordinarily, it would be next to impossible to master two contradictory techniques, thanks to the imprinting, Agathor now possessed the explosive offensive power of the Hatalian technique and the endurance and subtleties of the Marezen technique.
Agathor returned from the underground sanctuary and was quick to inform his comrades of what had happened. Shock and awe took hold of them. But it was not for long, as soon war horns rung out through the sky, informing the warriors that demons had been sited at the outskirts of the ruined city.
The expeditionary force was vastly outnumbered. There were only a few thousand of them at most whereas the demons flowing in from over the horizon seemed to be ten thousand strong at least.
Agathor took charge of the ensuing battle, and with the Marezen Sword, he led humanity to its first true victory, totallyy annihilating the enemy force. It demonstrated that the demons were not invincible and earned Agathor the nickname 'the Slayer of 10,000 Demons.'
As word of Agathor's exploits spread, he was appointed alongside Gatmore as a Knight-Protector of Hatalia. The Six Heroes had quickly expanded to the Seven Heroes.
Agathor the Marezen Sword.
Gatmore the Thorn Sword.
Hoccer the Parish Sword.
Sybil the Mormoth Sword.
Qondina the Naqid Sword.
Berford the Wading Sword.
Lonya the Capperdale Sword.
The Seven Heroes also became more than just comrades. Having power far beyond that of all other humans in Oros created a special bond between the seven. An unbreakable friendship.
The Seven Heroes and the forces of the Coalition of Oros soon began to turn the tide of the war. While carnage, death and loss remained common, victories become more and more frequent.