Pagia

It had been nearly ten thousand years after the battle happened. The Pagia Kingdom had recovered fully since then, becoming one of the most prosperous kingdoms in the region. Rebuilt after the disaster, the Imperial Castle was constructed using nearly indestructible blood-platinum ore, adorned with regal gold around its outline. It towered over the whole capital, which was impressive in its own right - filled with nobles, wealthy merchants from other kingdoms and the upper classes of society. Rare goods were sold in bulk (of course, at astonishing prices), and any accommodation was luxurious - putting aside the manors of the nobles, even a normal house would span at least five thousand square feet.

Pagia's military prowess was outstanding as well. There had been no lack of thieves, bandits and other evildoers stirring up trouble in the capital. But onlookers would find that whenever they tried to start a fight, or even make the slightest move on an innocent, they would slowly disappear. It would not be obvious at first, but little by little, their bodies would start to become translucent, then transparent, and soon after that, completely disappear, with no hint of them ever being present in the first place. Their torturous expressions and agonising screams throughout the process scared away any others who had evil intentions, and soon, the capital was free of crime - no one even dared to think about trespassing the law. This "disappearing act" seemed like magic - and in fact, it was magic. The magicians who worked for the king were the best in the kingdom, sending fear into the hearts of other territories' rulers. Pagia could punch far above its own weight.

This strong military force was not formed instantly. After the battle, half the kingdom was razed to the ground, putting it in extremely vulnerable circumstances. With the whole capital destroyed and everyone inside - including the king and other high officials - dead, the neighbouring kingdoms would be foolish if they did not take advantage of this opportunity. The strongest combatants of Pagia were all dead, and the next day, millions of enemy troops swarmed the kingdom in all directions. It was a mystery as to how and why Pagia survived the onslaught, but the facts of history are unchanged - the same day the enemy kingdoms launched the attack, every single one of their soldiers was wiped out, with no Pagian casualties. The Administrator of the Realm - the adviser of the king, with powers second to him, took total control of the kingdom. From then on, he created a new dynasty, bringing Pagia on the road to the golden age of prosperity.

Every citizen of Pagia knew the principal rule of the world - might is right. The infamous battle ten millennia ago had not taken place between two kingdoms, or even two empires. It was a one-on-one battle. Two combatants had fought in the skies above the kingdom, and the shockwaves of the battle demolished everything in its path. The king had just been alerted of the crisis when each of them unleashed their strongest blow, with the remnant energy of the attack destroying half the kingdom in the process. Until now, the identities of the two fighters and the battle results remain unknown.

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Of course, with such an enormous land area, it was hard for the kingdom's officials to ensure that all areas were developed equally. In fact, such a feat was impossible to achieve, save for the greatest empires of the continent, with hundreds of thousands of years of development. Away from the capital, the high-rise, towering structures shrunk into shorter buildings, made out of wood or straw. Despite all the differences, one thing remained the same - strength rules all. In rural regions where the reach of law and order was confined, bandits and warlords started their own fiefdoms, taking up the position of ruler. Of course, they still submitted to the officials dispatched occasionally to check on these regions, but other than that, they were effectively king. They could be benevolent or tyrannical - this was completely up to the citizen's fate.

In the furthest reaches of Pagia, a small village could be seen. At a glance, it seemed to have not more than a few hundred people. The shouts of naughty children could be heard, along with the noises of other animals and shopkeepers advertising their goods. Being at the border of Pagia, this village was fairly isolated - to the south would be the neighbouring kingdom of Wirene, and to the east, a boundless forest. Among the thatched cottages of this village, there was one that was notably more elegant - made of polished oak wood, and slightly higher than the other houses at three stories tall. Inside, a young boy, not more than the age of nine, was training excitedly.