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Viking_Jorun -> The Chronicles of Magic: The Beginning of the End (5/11/2010 19:41:39)
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Prologue
One Thousand Years Ago
The mid-morning sky was stained with red clouds in the distance. The once white clouds were now blood red as they hovered over the city of Arnelus. Fires raged destruction all over the, once peaceful and beautiful, city. Bodies lay on the ground, some undistinguishable from the horrific attacks. The king’s palace was in ruins and on fire. What was once a grand city filled with the laughs of hyper children, the sound of coins being passed from hand to hand in the marketplace, and a bustling city full of people rushing here and there, was now no more than a battleground of death and destruction.
High in the sky, watching the destruction, was a dark-clothed person. He was standing on the back of a Dracolich whose empty eye sockets could stare right through the soul of any unlucky creature. It reeked of rot and death. Its half-decayed body still managed to keep its skeleton intact. Half-rotted and tattered membrane was what the creature used to keep in the air. Its blank, deadly expression, along with its large fangs was enough to send the bravest lion whimpering away. The rider on its back was just as fearsome. He wore a large, black, tattered robe with a blood red sash tied around its waist, and the hood covering his head. In one hand he held a black spell book which contained page and page of spells and incantations. The pages and book were older than the man, and the grey skull on its cover glowed with a deathly grey light. In the other hand was a large staff, taller than he was, and magnificently crafted. Carvings of hieroglyphics were etched up the metal staff, and lying on the top was a black Onyx skull with Rubies as eyes. The eyes glowed brighter than the flames in the city. Around his neck was a black, metal skull, with a small key turned where a nose would belong. The rider looked up into the sky. His pale, thin face was exposed as the hood slid back slightly. A thin, crooked nose poked out, a pale tongue pursed his thin lips. Long, slick, black hair covered half of his face. His eyes were closed as he took in a deep breath. He opened his eyes and stared at the sky. His black eyes consumed the remaining sunlight as the dark clouds completely engulfed the battlefield.
“Cryptos!” A swirl of wind whirled in front of the Dracolich and the rider. The swirl exploded and sent powerful gusts of wind outward. One gust hit the Dracolich and sent it backwards. The rider looked down and growled. The Dracolich let out a roar that would make a lion’s roar miniscule. The rider stared at what had appeared from the swirl. A man in a flowing grey and white robe floated in front of the Dracolich, unfazed by the roar. His long white hair flowed in the wind, as well as the grey sash holding his robe in place. A stern, angry expression covered his face. His grey eyes stared through the Dracolich and to the rider. In his right hand he held a long metal staff. At the very top of this staff was a diamond orb, and within this orb there was a swirling grey hurricane. In his other hand was a white and grey-trimmed spell book. It was closed, but the hurricane that caressed the cover was glowing a bright white. Around his neck was necklace attached to a symbol in the form of a raging hurricane. Right in the middle was a key, turned. The Aeromancer stood in the air with no effort. He raised his staff, and pointed it at the rider.
“What have you done, Cryptos? You have killed the people in this entire city. And not only that, you have killed my friends. Your friends. They were the grand wizards of the elements. You, those wizards, and I all worked together to put the Elemental Magics Council together. It was our job to prevent what you have gone and done!” said the Aeromancer. He closed his eyes, tears were forming.
Cryptos laughed. “You are weak, my brother. You are weak. Just like the others. Sympathy will never get you anywhere. I told the council not to go on with the separation. But they wouldn’t listen. Neither would you! I warned all of you of what was to come, and since you are the only one remaining, you will pay!” Cryptos raised his hand, and in front of him materialized 6 necklaces. “These are the necklaces of the wizards I killed personally. My undead minions lost the others… those imbeciles.”
“What do you plan to do with their necklaces? You know our own life essence is kept in them, and locked unless absolutely needed. Now that those wizards are dead, if you unlock their necklaces, nobody will be able to control the power! You know better than this! You’ll die if you unlock it!” the Aeromancer yelled.
“You really do think I’m an idiot, don’t you? I’m not going to open them. The original owners will! And this time they’ll all be under my control!” Cryptos laughed evilly. Shivers went down the Aeromancer’s spine. Cryptos raised his staff, the spell book floating in the air. “I summon you wizards, back from the dead. Go, come forth, and off with his head!” Cryptos looked at the Aeromancer and grinned evilly. Six bodies materialized, with the necklaces around their necks. They all seemed human, except for the pale skin, and the dried blood stained on their robes. One after another, they outstretched their arms and staves flew up from the ground where they originally laid next to their bodies. Spell books materialized out of thin air. They were all ready to kill.
“No, Cryptos! I can’t fight them. They were my friends, they were our friends. They were the closest thing to family we had! What’s wrong with you, Cryptos? What happened!” the Aeromancer screamed as he waved his staff sending gusts of wind to deflect the attacks of the oncoming undead wizards.
“Nothing is wrong with me, Tej! I’m still the same Necromancer that I was any other day since my Recognizing! You can’t change that fact. You failed me, Tej. You failed me as a brother, as a friend, and you failed to protect these people as you did your fellow wizards. They’re all dead, and you are about to join them!” Tej floated in disbelief. His very own brother had betrayed him, and was about to cause the destruction of the world. And he was helpless with these undead wizards fighting him. Crypto was right. Tej failed and was going to die before his little brother as he took over the world.
Just then, the undead Pyromancer sent a giant fireball flying towards Tej. Tej made no effort to stop it. It hit Tej and exploded. Tej’s unconscious body was sent descending to the earth. Cryptos started laughing. “That’s enough of you imbeciles.” Cryptos ended the spell and the bodies, and staves fell to the ground. The spell books disintegrated in the air. Cryptos laughed louder, harder.
Tej woke up. He was lying on the branches of a tree. He looked up and could hear Cryptos’ evil laugh. I have to put a stop to this. And if that means giving up my life to save the world, then so be it. Tej looked down at his necklace. It was glowing fervently. He struggled to raise his arm to reach the necklace.
Cryptos looked at the six levitating necklaces that were left behind. “Now to finish what I have planned to do for so long. By turning these keys I will still be able to have enough power to control the world!”
Tej finally reached the necklace, and grasped the key. All that was going through his head was how he failed his brother. He was supposed to be there for him. He remembered all the good times they shared when they were younger. How proud he was for Cryptos when his powers were Recognized. And now… now he was going to have to kill his brother. Tej closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“Ah, Vulcanus. Such a hothead. He was never that smart. Always wanting to fight.” Cryptos mumbled about the dead Pyromancer as he turned the key in the necklace that resembled a volcano. It started glowing a bright red. Flames started coming out the mouth of the volcano. He continued talking to the necklaces as if the wizards were right in front of him. “Oh, Aquos. I loathed how you always sided with my brother. You were just as wrong as he was! And now you’re dead!” Cryptos laughed as he turned the key in the necklace of the dead Hydromancer. The tidal wave necklace started spewing water in all directions.
Tej closed his eyes. Tears started forming in the corner of his eyes. “Alright. I need to forget all of that. Despite the fact that he is my brother…” Tej stopped, and took a deep breath, “despite that fact, I cannot let him keep this up. He must be stopped!” Tej closed his eyes, tightened his hand and turned the key. The necklace started to glow a brilliant white. Tej was engulfed in an enormous white light.
“Oh, Crysilla, you were my favorite. I deeply loved you, but no matter what I did, or say, you would completely ignore me. I’m not going to lie, killing you was the hardest thing I had to do, but it had to be done.” Cryptos closed his eyes. Tears started to form on the corners of his eyes. He turned the key in the snowflake necklace of the dead Cryomancer.
“And now, for the final neckl- what is that?” Cryptos looked down. A bright, glowing white light was flying up towards him. It came to a sudden stop in front of the Dracolich. “Tej! It’s only you! But how did you survive that fall? Oh it doesn’t matter; I’ll just kill you myself.” Cryptos smiled. He raised his staff and swung down hard. A bolt of black lightning burst out of the skull and careened straight to Tej. Tej raised his staff and it absorbed the bolt of lightning. He raised his other hand, and sent an arrow of wind straight at the Dracolich. It speared the creature through the head, and the Dracolich burst into flames. A cloud captured Cryptos and kept him levitated. “My dragon! What did you do to it?”
“I killed it. Just like you did to all these people, just like you did to our friends… our family. Just like what I am about to do to you.” A sudden wave of fear spread across Cryptos’ face. Tej raised his staff and spell book. A giant cone of raging winds at top speeds formed above Tej. It covered the entire sky. Cryptos’ hood flew off, and Tej was able to see Cryptos. His face was full of fear and regret, but it was too late. He had already committed all of those heinous crimes. It was time for revenge for all. Tej pointed his staff at Cryptos. The cloud disappeared, but Tej still had control over him. Tej sent an arrow flying at his brother, but it was aimed at the staff and spell book. It struck, and both items were destroyed.
“Any last words, Cryptos?” Tej said.
“Yeah. I hope you rot in hell!” Cryptos replied. Tej thrust his staff upward, sending his brother flying into the cone. Tej was consumed by the raging winds. Tej flew up into the eye of the hurricane. He could hear his brother’s blood curdling scream. Tej closed his eyes, rolled into a ball, and then exploded. A brilliant bright light consumed everything. The hurricane disappeared, but so did everything inside it. When the light died down the only two things remaining were the necklaces of the last two wizards. They both fell to the ground. Suddenly Tej’s necklace started to glow a bright white, while Cryptos’ started glowing a dull black. Around the battlefield, and around the world where there were slain wizards, their necklaces started to glow. Suddenly, the keys that once were used to unlock the unlimited bounty of power contained within each necklace flew out, dispersing into random locations around the world.
Cryptos’ army of undead was destroyed along with him. His reign of terror was now over, at least until his key and necklace would be reunited.
Well, I'm back? :D And I am being completely honest when I say this. "This time I will be more focused on maintaining this story, depending on how the readers like it." Mmkay... maybe the third time's the charm? :D
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