4 Chapter 3 - The Beginning

Archer looked at his father is disbelief as he began to comprehend what his father was saying. These mythical creatures were beings he had heard about in stories, but he never expected them to exist. He had assumed all this time that the Great War 800 years ago was a fight between two or more of the different nations. Despite his awe about the subject, he listened intently.

"800 years ago marked the end of this war. Before then, civilization was not what you see it as now. There was a dragon named Alirick who commanded the loyalty of the various species of creatures that roamed the planet. He was by far the largest of these monsters and none dared to oppose him as he was their king and they would be eaten on the spot without thought as a lesson to others. Humans were slaves and we had no will of our own. We were blood banks for the vampires, butchered for werewolves, made playthings for for centaurs and dragons alike. We were the cattle of their world."

As Smitten recited these creatures of legend to Archer, he would point them out throughout the book. Archer greedily soaked up all the knowledge he could. He felt a small adrenaline rush and his heart start hammering in his chest at the thought of all of the stories he had heard growing up coming into fruition. He could feel his body getting hot and palms getting sweaty. The thought of this being true both terrified and excited him at the same time.

"Over time, it was slowly discovered that some people had the means of resisting their oppression. Somehow, the latent magic power that was used among the beasts somehow managed to adapt into our race as well. Can you guess where this leads?" the old king asked, glancing over at Archer expectantly.

"The.. original five?"

"Precisely."

"These abilities were kept hidden for as long as possible, for although they had the power, there was no knowledge on how to control it and there weren't enough with the ability to resist. Yet. The human race hid this presence as they determined it as their only means of achieving their freedom."

"For the next hundred years, the blessed bloodlines intentionally produced many offspring for the purpose of an uprising. The goal was to create an army. This was not easy to do due to only a few particular people having these abilities. The beasts knew nothing of the plot, they only saw the additional babies as more means of earning favor with the other races of creatures. At the end of a hundred years of oppression following the humans discovery of their powers, it was time to retaliate."

All this information was so much for Archer to take in. He couldn't imagine what his ancestors could've went through. He glanced up at the banner that still waved over the fireplace. The phoenix began to stand out at him, as he finally started to piece together the meaning of their crest. "I see.." Archer thought to himself.

The king continued, "As though it happened overnight, the people took arms against the beings oppressing them. Swords and shields clashed with teeth and talons. Even the people who did not have additional powers fought, as there still would have not been any hope had they not took up arms. There were many more losses for the humans, but eventually they were able to begin overthrowing the creatures due to sheer numbers, however; if the dragon Alirick was not slain, this would be all for naught."

"Humans had finally managed to push back enough that there were free standing communities that served as the resisdence for the humans who had survived the months of fighting. This is where more weapons were created and the few gifted individuals were able to practice and refine their given powers."

"One morning, there was a swarm of fire and wind. The dragons, as few as there were, had come from the mountains to crush the revolt that was happening, following Aliricks orders. The power within the five families bloodlines soared at their appearance. Their power.. our power... linked directly with them it seemed. Humans had adapted to the suppression, and the dragons were the strongest of all the creatures. After some time, the chosen individuals dispatched three dragons. This was the first time this had ever been accomplished. Seeing their refined power as an the advantage they needed, the decision was made that it was finally time to end it. They decided to face Alirick in person."

"Despite the newfound confidence, the chosen leaders, the ones who were the most advanced with their powers, found out that their powers were ineffective against the powerful dragon when finally faced against him. Everything that was thrown at him seemed bounce harmlessly off his scales. The last measure they could do was use the combination of their power to seal the beast away, but it came at a cost. After the battle, the cost for their freedom caused all the leaders from each bloodline to perish, along with the closing off their bloodlines abilities within the crystal that was used to hold the dragon, a means of sealing the beast away for good. The name Thuvren Morvlinsk will always be remembered for his sacrifice in our family, just like the other kingdoms honor their ancestors. The next in line for each family stepped up and turned our world into what we see today over many, many years."

Archer stopped and pondered, "Myths, powers, oppression, revolt, the amount of lives it took.." Everything seemed too much for him to take in and he had a problem with that all of this stuff that appeared make-believe was actually true. He had no idea about what had happened before, and now the shoulder he always turned to learning his family history now seemed so cold as it didn't seem important at the time, just another history lesson. The prince sat down, basking in the newfound information. He slowly scrapped his fingernails across the wooden table, picking at a splinter that he had finally worked free, imagining the prior hardships compared to his lush life. Although he couldn't leave, he had never had to want for anything. He felt ashamed because he felt like a spoiled brat throwing a tantrum.

After a while he broke the silence, a particular line reverberated through Archers mind. "You mentioned this happening again. What do you mean by that? Is the seal able to be broken?"

Smitten carefully closed the book and shimmied his chair closer to his son. "Son, the day you were born was the greatest and worst day of my life. Your mother.." he paused for a moment, staring off into space before reaching a hand up to wipe a tear from his now dark red eyes.. "Your mother was a magnificent woman. As she had you and laid there with you in her arms, her eyes closed and she embraced you tight as she had a prophecy. She muttered the words, "The final heir of Morvlinsk will either be the savior or the destroyer of life as the world grows dark."

"Our union was frowned upon. She was an oracle and was to remain untainted in reverence for the God's, however; we hid our love until she could no longer hide you growing in her womb. Your mother and I figured she had stopped receiving prophecies from that moment because of her leaving the Oracles and she had appeared to fall from the grace of the God's due to losing her innocence. That was not the case, it wasn't until she gave birth to you that the message was recited."

"After her prophecy, her life left her body and her physical form disappeared into oblivion, leaving only the blankets she used and the bundle of cloth that was you. You began to fall off the edge of the bed, but I was able to catch you before you could slip off. Since then, I've made you ready for whatever should happen in the future. I've had your learn swordsmanship, hand to hand, use of a bow, wilderness survival, and diplomacy."

"I have only received my knowledge through books, never from living experience. I can't say that I know some of the stuff you have learned will even be useful, but I have tried my best to ensure your equipped for whatever the world may throw your way should this crisis arise. I've always prayed that the day would never come where these skills would have to be tested. That being said, I still don't have the answer as to if it will happen or not. I've only done what I thought was best for you and the future of all of humankind."

His dad slide his chair even closer to Archer and embraced him. He was shaking under his crimson robe as he whispered in his sons ear. "I never laid with another woman. Your mother was the love of my life and her passing is something I still have trouble bearing till this day, I crave her presence and her warmth every morning when I wake up. I have you as a remembrance of her and have been perfectly content with that and only that. That being said, you are it Archer, you are the one and only heir to the Morvlisk family. Therefore, you must be ready for anything."