The beginning

It was winter again...

Nearly three hundred winters had come and gone since the Nigon tribe summoned their greatest king, Azkun, to be reborn. Nearly three hundred years have passed since the war obliterated their lands, and many of their people have been slaughtered. Province after province, the soldiers of Isda have vanquished the region of Nigon.

Izkon was once one of the richest Nigon provinces. The fourth province to be ravaged by the war. The hellish flames of Isda had engulfed the city, blazing through the harshest of winters and turning the once-bustling streets of the province of Izkon into dust.

The icy storms of the winter could not quench the flames of Isda, the black, hellish flames burned with fury even through the white jabs of snow.

Only the castle of Izkon and its desolate survivors remained. 

Queen Illya's labor screams echoed throughout the walls of the royal birthing chamber at the west wing of the castle of Izkon.

The chamber was bright from torches hanging on the golden chandelier and on the walls. The decor of the room was exquisite and every piece of furniture in the room was made of gold.

Queen Illya's eyes were closed, and her breathing was labored. She lay on the bed with her legs wide open with her feet firmly on the bed, two maids held both legs firmly and a midwife waited beneath her open legs.

"I will not have this baby if my husband is no more," She spoke. Her voice strained from labor pains and screaming.

Her dull grey eyes sparked with a glint of hope when she saw her Cana rush into the birthing chamber, but the spark dimmed shortly after she heard her speak.

"Isda soldiers have broken through the castle gates, my queen," Her Cana spoke hastily, her eyes were laced with sadness and her expression was grim. "The men who remained have gone to fight."

"And the king?" Illya held her breath, waiting for a response she already knew in her heart and felt in her soul. Her husband was dead.

"The king of Izkon and our soldiers have fallen." The maid wailed as she uttered the heavy words.

Queen Illya's heart shattered.

"No," she cried out as she wriggled her body, nearly moving out of position, but the maids held onto her legs firmly.

The baby must have sensed its mother's frailty because, in that moment, it forced its head out of its mother's body.

"The baby is crowning!" the midwife called out from beneath the queen's legs. 

"It's a prince!" The midwife announced with joy as she handed the baby over to the tired queen.

Illya smiled briefly as she held her son in her arms. His hair was white and his eyes were a brilliant blue just like his father. At her observation, her brows furrowed and her lips pursed into a frown. "He is the last of the Izkon royal bloodline. I must protect him at all costs."

A young maid ran into the birthing chamber, sobbing and panting, "Your Highness, Isda soldiers have released Dagun inside the castle gates, the men are being slaughtered."

"Dagun!" The midwives and maids chorused as fear gripped their minds.

"We are all going to die." They all cried out terrified as they turned their gazes to the queen.

Queen Illya got off the bed, carrying her newborn with her. "I can hold off Dagun long enough for everyone to escape."

"No, Your Highness. You are still too weak, and the prince is only a baby less than a minute old. He can't live without his mother." Her Cana protested.

"Let's run away together." Her eyes pleaded.

Queen Illya frowned."It is impossible! Dagun cannot stop until it drinks royal blood."

Her expression was solemn as she glanced at the women's terrified faces. She would face death with bravery, like her husband. 

"Amaya." She called softly as she motioned to the younest maid, who quickly came to her and knelt. "My queen."

She kissed her baby on his head and handed him over to Amaya. "Daughter of Elon. You shall be the wet nurse and the foster mother of Prince Kyon the Third."

Amaya's dark brown eyes glistened with tears as she held the prince. "You have honored the Elon family, my Queen."

Illya smiled at her and then turned her gaze to her Cana, Her words were swift and urgent: "There is a passageway down this hallway leading to the underground bunker where the women and children are hidden. In the bunker behind the portrait of King Vedros, there is a wall leading to the tunnel of the fallen kings. The end of the tunnel leads out of the province to the forests that bound the province of Enok. Unlock the wall leading to the tunnels by repeating this spell: ew eht øoldb fo Izkon kese gəufre hgrøuh eht zaem fo eht llaenf gniks. Lead the women and children through the tunnel. The tunnel is full of treasures. Take as much as you can, you will need it for the journey to the province of Azure,take Lady Amaya and Prince Kyon III to my father King Oryn.

Suddenly, the air turned frigid and stiff, and all the lights went out. The morning sky turned into night as loud screeching sounds reverberated from beneath the grounds of the castle.

"iht el gtih" Queen Illya chanted quickly, and small floating orbs of lights materialized and illuminated the chamber.

"Leave now!" She commanded, and the women fled out of the chamber taking the prince with them.

Illya closed her eyes briefly as she amplified her body with magic and called forth her sword and armor. At that moment, bronze armor clad her body, and her sword flew into her hands. 

She raced out of the birthing chamber, through the right hallway, and down the grand stairs into the throne room. 

It would come for her, she knew; it had sensed her royal blood. Prince Kyon III is a mere baby; his scent is not as strong as hers, she hoped as she clenched her sword tightly.

Suddenly, a terrifying and deafening screech echoes through the dark room, taking out her magic lamps. The ground tremored. From beneath her feet a black mist spurted out, nearly causing her to tumble. A deafening screech followed as the mist launched at her.

It was invisible to her because of the darkness.

Instantly, the air turned stale and stiff. Illya struggled to breathe and she felt her body weaken. The demon knocked her to the floor and pinned her down as it opened its dark hollow mouth to bite off her head. 

She struggled under the demon's grip to cast a spell; it was a fire spell her seven-hundred-year-old father had used in killing a Dagun. Her mouth moved slowly stumbling on the words: føœ efir el eonix dob el efir.

Instantly, Her body turned into bright red flames and the heat of the flames caused Dagun to retreat from her. She flew up from the ground with wings made from fire, burning brightly through the darkness. 

The Phoenix spell was ancient spell which took seventy years to master, but Illya was only sixty years old and yet somehow, she had managed to conjure the spell. However, she could only hold the spell for a brief period. The spell had taken all her strength to conjure and she feared that the power would kill her before she could kill the Dagun.

Dagun launched at her again, but she could see it this time. Its hollow mouth opened revealing an endless darkness as it came at her with god-like speed but she swung her flaming sword at the nick of time, nicking it slightly.