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Lore of the Fallen King
ArchivedUser
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I am going to flesh out a small story, to hook with my short one. I hope it works out.
Oh I had to move a topic, sorry for the mix up. lol
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I remember it like it was yesterday, everything was so beautiful, the trees and earth, even the sky above, everything was perfect in the eyes of the people. Even the gemstone city of Kilbrook was built atop a breathtaking fjord and was truly a gorgeous trade center. Its elegance was matched by the backdrop of lush forests which have helped shape the city. The riches the forests brought was of great importance, but they were also influential when it came to architectural designs as the vast majority of buildings have been built alongside the trees and often incorporate many different forest elements.
The skyline was growing with impressive tall sandstone buildings and even from afar they manage to display their beauty. Daily life wasn't too stressful in Kilbrook and it has attracted a lot of attention. A few new cultures have left their mark not just on the city's cuisine, but also upon the city's identity. What historically was a city of predictability had grown into a fusion of everything that united the people at that time.
It's that multicultural identity that had truly left its mark. Hundreds of Inns and food carts offered a plethora of culinary choices and those who felt hungry for something else could enjoy, dancing, clubs or one of the many other recreational venues.
Also, the kingdom wasn't lacking when it came to riches, not only was the trade good, but we had other resources too. There were deep mines of gold and silver, and rich farmlands as far as the eye could see. Along with livestock, and plants of special needs for potions of all types, we were at the top of the world, and we were a very happy people.
At that time I served as chief adviser to King Gregory Wakefield, a good and just man, and he ruled with a kind hand at the center of Kilbrook. He was a river to his people, giving all he could to keep them happy, and the people in return showed their happiness and love in return with there labor. It was known throughout the lands Verra, that our kingdom was the riches of them all. Truly there was never an issue with the money flowing into the treasure, like a river into the sea, we were the riches in all the land.
I guess that is what blinded us to the rest of the world, due to our wealth, we took other lands for granted. As I learned with the passage of time, other lesser territories requested help from our king, in the form of financial aid, and he in return sent what he felt was fair, but they were never satisfied with what was given. They felt since we had so much wealth, we could afford to give a lot more. But King Wakefield refused, and that's when everything changed.
One day a messenger came to the king, with a warning from six other kingdoms. Pay a tax to them of over half his wealth, or face the combined power of their armies. He had one week to give an answer before they would invade his lands.
This, of course, distressed the king greatly, and he sent out scouts to confirm what was told to him, and when they returned they gave him grim news. They counted six banners of the great lords of the neighboring lands, and they have formed a huge army on his border. They counted their numbers to be about ten to one, vs the forces the king had including his reverses. But how could this be, we have put together a fine army to protect us, but as we quickly learned, we had gained too much fame from out wealth. Now others had come to take it all away, and the king called for answers from his advisors.
We offered him our best at the time and tried to convince the king to just pay what they wanted, so we could save the people from the coming attack. He was desperate to find a better answer, one that didn't require giving up his wealth. That's when a witch came to us, just a few days before the enemy was to march on us, the one who would change us all.
She was an odd figure, dressed in a hooded brown robe, aged hands pulled back the covering from her head revealing silver, shaggy hair clumsily hanging over a thin, menacing face of an old woman. Her bright hazel eyes, set gracefully within their sockets, watched delicately over the king's advisors in the hall that day. I could see her skin was like leather, that compliments her mouth and leaves a compelling memory of someone that lived a very long time.
There was something irregular about her, she had a dark aura in the air around her, and I begged the king to send her away. But he gave his ear to this one, and she slowly approached the king. She extended an old crooked staff hidden within her robes and offered it to the king. She told us it had the power to defeat his enemies, that its magic was very powerful, and with it, he would rule the world. But it came with a price, one she didn't speak of, as she only smiled showing off crooked colored teeth.
We, of course, didn't believe her, as a few laughed at this old woman, and we tried to send her on her way. I watched as guards went to drag her off, but she lifted the very staff in her hand, and with one motion tapped the floor where she stood. The guards who were reaching out to grab her, now frozen in places like statues and all in the chamber went silent. The king seeing this walked over slowly to the old woman, I tried to overhear what was said, but I couldn't a word between them. Next thing I saw was the king taking ownership of the staff, and the old woman vanished in the blink of an eye. The guards that were once frozen now were able to move.
He turned to us, with a gleam in his eyes, and a dark grim on his face. The great and gentleman that once was, change right before my eyes, and with that, he rallied his army for battle. Who was I to stop him now, as he went forth to face the enemy before the time was up?
I viewed the coming battle afar from a hilltop, standing with a few of my friends, and we watched as our king lead his forces to face the six armies set out against him. We watched as one by one, he destroyed their forces, with the power of the staff, and in doing so he sucked the very life from their bodies. It looked as if the staff grew in power after each army fell, then came the last army. Their leader begged for mercy, but our king showed them none, and I watched as the staff took them as well. The only thing left was dust on the field of battle that day, along with the weapons and armor they wore, and the king's army didn't have to lift a sword to fight. The men told up all they could carry, as we returned to a hero welcome, but the king seemed colder now, as he didn't join the celebrations.
Weeks went by, as the king became colder, and his face looked more stone-like. The kingdom felt different as well, as I watched the once beautiful countryside turn darker, and things became colder along with the king. I went to him one last time and begged him to give up the power, but he just gave me a cold stare in return.
He kept that staff very close by, it was his to command, and it too changed with the king. It no longer looked like an old wooden staff, now it had linings of gold and silver, with jewels encrusted along its edges. Its power glowed brightly, and a dark aura surrounded the king. He no longer looked to the people the same way as he once did, it was only the staff he concerned himself with now. He, in turn, proclaimed himself a god to the people, and most of them followed blindly. Others like myself fled the kingdom, and I made sure my family was taken far away to be safe. Most of us left the kingdom behind before we too fell under the power of the staff.
Word went out across the land, as time went by, about my old king's new power, and word found it's way to the ears of a few great dragons. They always listened to the whispers of man, to see what we were up too, and found it amusing that one of us would think of themselves greater than them. So they went to find this so-called god, six dragons in all, they went to see this man that would call himself their better.
I found myself curious too, with my family now safe, I returned to see what became of my old king. As I returned to the borders of the old kingdom, I watched as the dragons circled a lone man. I have never seen a dragon before, and to have six in one place was a rare occasion. I could see they were huge, looked very powerful, and were very different from each other. Each of their colors was of a golden yellow, snow white, midnight black, dark brown, blood red and deep blue. I marveled at the site of them, and to my surprise, they spoke to the man.
I looked to see who it was, as I couldn't tell at first, then it hit me hard. It was King Wakefield, and he stood alone to face the dragons above him. They, in turn, mocked him, as they would take turns diving down closer to swoop over his head. Then it happened. With the power of the staff, he took the life of the first dragon, leaving nothing by bones that crashed to the ground. The others seeing their brother fall so quickly, dived down with fire and elemental powers aimed at destroying this man, but the staff protected the king, and he took two more dragon's lives. The last three now hit the ground hard, shaking the earth where they landed and moved to do a direct attack, but the king used the power to take their lives too, leaving just their bones in the places that stood.
I watched as the staff glowed very bright now, as it took on a new form with six dragon heads set into it like a crown. The king smiled widely, and laughed at the sight of his new trophies, then with a wave of the staff he vanished from sight. I walked down to view the bones of the dragons up close, as I stood next to the closest one, it was as if the dragon was still there, but it was all just it's bones now. I reached out to touch one of the huge ribs, and it was still warm to the touch. I went over to were the bones of another fell and took a single claw to show people. Now I could hear the sounds of others coming, and I quickly left to return to my new home. There I told my wife what happened, and she in return was glad we left, I couldn't help but wonder what has become of my old king.
About five years later, as I worked at my new job, mainly doing work as a merchant and dealing in trades. Word came to me how the city of Kilbrook fell into bad times, all the money that was once there is no more. The kingdom as well has lost its riches, and the old king retreated to an old mountain castle.
I found myself rubbing the dragon's claw, that I made into a dagger years ago, and sitting on the table of my stall was a golden dragons head. I had no idea where it came from, or if anyone left it by mistake. I picked up the golden head and looked around asking others who own it. Then it called to me, as I looked at it, the eyes started to glow. They glowed a very bright red, and within them, I could see my old king sitting on his throne. He was frozen in deep ice, and still holding his staff, now plan like it was when he first claimed it. Gone were the dragon heads and the riches of the staff, surrounding the king were his loyal subjects, also frozen in time along with their him.
But why did this happened to him, that too was answered, as I watched the king aim the staff at a family of farmers? With them was a little girl, who looked at the king with sad eyes, and as she closed them. The power of the dragons sent them away, then the staff glowed brightly, and the dragon heads broke away from it. In doing so they froze the might king where he sat, along with everyone else, then with one last motion they flew off to different parts of the world. But why did this one come to me? Then it hit me, the claw must have belonged to this one, and as I placed it close to the head, the claw vanished from sight, then the eyes went dark.
This is a power item I have now, it will make a fine piece for my collection, as I didn't really know what to do with this power. So I kept it hidden from the world, this dragon head stayed with me for all my years from that day forward, until the great exodus came to the land, but that is another story.
The End.
Thanks I wasn't sure anyone read it. haha But thanks again.