PROLOGUE
Dearest love of my life;
Thou hath my heart, I adore you, clandestinely. I relish memorizing every detail of your felicitous face. Heavenly smile so elfin, let me love you, expecting nothing in return. Let me love you, for eternity.
Sincerely and honestly showing you my affection,
Your King
That day, when I woke up, I just knew that everything was not the same. Only a letter written so meticulously was the first and the only thing that made me feel I'm a little home. I look at the mirror and asked my reflection, "Who are you?"
CHAPTER 1: "A Thousand Years of Love"
[The Spring Kingdom, 509.]
Howl of the wind they heard. It's a calm night contrast to the chaos inside of their mind. Chilly sweat they have. Their hopes are their swords and arrows. Holding it tightly while breathing is being counted. The race of humanity is soon to be eliminated. The man in his post above blew the horn in the middle of the night. A long seconds of silence— they have come.
"The demons have infiltrated! They're coming! Prepare for a battle!"
The clamor of fighters broke the serenity lingering in the darkness. Charging towards the threat of humanity– demons. Screaming was their way to throw the fear in their hearts. The sky rained thousands of enchanted arrows and the first line advanced with their swords and lancers.
"We will not perish for you, demons!"
Dying is certain. Death coequal terror and it's evidently recognized in all of their faces. Though what they're doing is an act of heroism, they're still human. A being capable of feeling fear– fear that they would die without seeing their family for the last moment of their lives.
"How long do we have to endure this?"
"Do we even have a chance to live peacefully?"
"I wonder if we can win against demons."
"I, Claudio Lockstream, will try to make it happen. We will win!"
Memories of their conversation played in his head as he one by one, watched known faces dying. Bodies that split up into two, pierced by fangs, and heads decapitated by the demons' sharp arms. Claudio Lockstream, the ninth king of the Spring Kingdom could only stare them from a distance.
Another night came again and when the sun appears, another life has been taken away from someone, someone dear to the ninth king.
"You promised me! Open your eyes! Damn it! Hey!" Hugging tightly, couldn't believe it happened.
"Esperanza, please! Max will be angry at me, please!" When a demon was about to attack him, he was saved. When he looked at the person who pushed him, he rattled and immediately killed the demon who sliced his savior.
"My king, the retrieval squad had arrived and the captain." He weakly tilted his head and cried out loud when again, another friend had died. A long yell of 'no' was heard in the sea of corpses, Claudio wailed his heart out. His childhood friends, Max and Esperanza have perished.
Everyone has their own personal pain. A pain they have to set aside for the sake of humanity. Wiping their tears while facing the morning sun. King Claudio stood up in front of everyone.
"This coming night, we will end this agony. We have to give our all for this battle. We should not... their sacrifices should not be put in vain. For the kingdom and for humanity!" And all shouted out their pain and suffering. The fear in their eyes turned into a determination. Determined to achieve the peace they long to achieve.
The awaited night arrived. The last battle that will decide the fate of humanity.
Screams and splash of blood. Explosions and clashing sounds. The number of demons was overwhelming but King Claudio dominated the fight. Attack after an attack as he leads his knights together with the 8 Pillars—the eight masters of different fighting techniques. They performed high-class magic for both offense and defense. The king, from afar, sensed a destructive aura.
"Create a barrier immediately!" Just the moment he shouted, a black-violet beam passed him and exploded. It was deafening.
Hundreds instantly died. King Claudio traced the aura again while closing his eyes and when he found it, instantly commanded the 8 Pillars to do a full counter with all their might. Eight of them released their greatest magic attack and the two opposite magic collided that it created an enormous blast illuminating the whole battlefield. The recoil flew off many knights and demons while the king took that opportunity to launch a powerful attack.
"Flame magic technique number 4, complete..."
The air on the battlefield suddenly stopped circulating. The demons, for the first time, felt fear. They looked at the king and like an animal telling its instinct of a coming danger– they tried to get away but before they could do.
"Incinerate!"
It was a long crimson night that ended with demons dancing in the raging fire casted by the ninth king. Screaming in anguish until they were incinerated.
"Humanity prevails."
The king stood up in the middle of the dead demons and humans. Ragged and wounded, he gathered strength and waved the flag of their kingdom.
"As long as I'm the king and alive, humanity will continue its history."
Everyone cried while looking at the rising sun.
[The Spring Kingdom, 510]
Eighteen months after the battle and the kingdom was recovering day by day. It took a while before the kingdom recouped to its old self. Recovering from physical and emotional damages. The forgotten smiles and laughter returned gradually. King Claudio bitterly smile to the sky.
"I wish you guys were here too. It's a little lonely." He solemnly closed his raven eyes and breathe the freshness of the air. The view from his room paints the beautiful Spring Kingdom. He promised to his self that he must protect that beauty. From then on, King Claudio changed the kingdom's system.
[Ilyawod Village, approximately 240 Kilometres away from the heart of the kingdom]
Ilyawod is a distant village of Spring Kingdom, a remote location. It has been a week that the elder sent a request to the king since demons reappeared and began to slaughter the inhabitants. Each attempt of every messenger to relay the letter were always failed. They got massacred and then eaten in their way. A month passed before the incident reached the king– fortunately, one had managed to reach the capital. He then sent a squad of knights to investigate immediately. King Claudio couldn't wait and was uncomfortable with the reappearance of the demons. He decided to do his own investigation while doing his role as the king and a leader.
One afternoon where the skies were vermillion. An injured, fatigued, and hungry woman collapsed near a river. She saw humans and tried to attack one of them to restore her weak body but stopped in doing it. The curse of the demon is getting stronger than the spirit of nature inside her body. There's a small village nearby which is the Ilyawod.
"I should just die but not here. I have to leave this place as soon as possible."
Barely making a step, she decided to just crawl. "I have to get away, " but her body stopped moving. Shutting down her eyes and assuming the death coming closer, a hideous demon appeared coming from the sky. It shook the ground where it landed and made a disturbing growl.
"I smell something nice, " the demon followed the scent and saw the village.
"Humans. Oh, I see! I bet this is the village those lowly rats have been playing with?"
"You come all the way here to kill me so there's no reason to touch those humans. Let's settle this somewhere."
"I shall be thankful to you."
"What are you saying?"
"I didn't know that these humans have such good life forces. It's my very first time seeing them. You can see it too right? The glowing life forces in their fragile bodies. I want to taste their flesh!"
A boy child fetching water from the river saw them and dropped his jar. The young boy just blinked his eyes then he was already in the arms of the frightening devil.
"Don't hurt that boy, " she forced herself to stand up. Gritting her teeth, eyes set to the demon. The boy cried as soon as he realized the situation
"This is interesting. A demon like you showing some empathy for this food." The boy cried again closing his eyes because of fear.
"I don't want to die." The demon just let out a laugh full of terror and lifted the kid in the air. The veins in the boy's head began to show up as he reddened trying to gasp for air.
"Food is just a food. Thank you for the meal!" The demon's mouth opened so wide that the skin around its mouth tore apart.
"I said don't hurt that boy!" It was a matter of time. If her vines didn't stop the demon's mouth from closing, the boy would be dead. She struggled to keep the demon's mouth open. If she let go of her hold on the magic, the child's body will be cut into half.
"I have to hold on," but the demon is too strong due to the fact that she's not in good condition. Her gaze met the boy's innocent eyes. She then saw that he is uttering something.
"My sis...ter... please." What happened occurred slowly in her eyes. The kid smiled. The vines ripped and the boy was cut into two. His blood spurted and mixed in the river. Those were the child's last words.
"This! This is so delicious! The smell! This taste! I want more!" Hearing the demon exhilarating awakens the strange power inside her.
"I told you didn't I?" The demon paused as its instinct tells great danger. The ripped vines grew again rapidly entangling the demon. It forcibly opened the astounded demon's mouth. Her green iris' luminance brings terror to the creature.
"Die!" The ripping sound of flesh and bones joined the calm gushing river. The demon's head was ripped apart.
"May your soul finds peace in the afterlife." She closed the boy's eyes. In the bush near her, there was a movement that her peripheral vision caught. She guarded herself and looked at the bush intently until she heard a sob of a girl.
"Could it be his sister?" She used the vines to check the bush and it was a girl of three to four age.
"What's your name? Come here, I won't hurt you." Smiling and tried to sound soft. The little girl walked out of the bush and hugged her.
"Brother dead?" Her tiny finger pointed the body of his brother. She caressed the little girl's back and a tear formed in her eyes.
"I am sorry." She regretted coming to this village. Someone just died because of her. Again.
"Look, monster. There." Her eyebrows greeted.
"Monster... many." The child hugged her tighter and shortly, she felt the coldness. Stiffened in her position, the aura coming from behind. It's a more dangerous one. She need not have to look back instead prepared her magic.
"Baby, we will run very fast so hug me even tighter and close your eyes okay?" The child nodded and did what she has told.
"Ray of the sun hit me,
Grow these seeds fully.
Cover everything to green,
I command you nature, begin!"
After citing the incantation, all the plants within her vision's reach grew hastily and covered the whole village. A massive forest just emerged! The demons behind her got distracted. She used that moment to run while enduring the searing pain all over her body. The luminance in her eyes is fading away. She is reaching her limit. The soil she stepped instantly grew a gigantic tree that made the horde of demons' pace impeded.
"Hug me tighter!" She focused the magic on her eyes and another forest materialized in front of them. She then raised her right hand a vine lifted them.
She knew the demons were still catching up to them and the leading, particularly the one with the sinister aura made her feel uncomfortable.
"Don't ever open your eyes, okay?" She raised her magic level and halted to gave them a powerful offense.
"Spirits of nature is what I need,
Unlock your gates and come forthwith,
Dance in this forest that I made,
I'll hear from you soon, just heed my greed!"
Her emerald eyes glowed even more and one wave of her hand grew a large leaf in front. As soon as the horde of demons reached the vicinity of her magic. She discharged all the spirit energy from the leaf. The whole forest was illuminated by a blinding light that lasted for seconds. When the light faded, it appeared that most of the demons were eradicated but one was left. Her eyes widened. It was her strongest attack but it survived. She could not make another one and right at the moment when she's about to run. She was stabbed, lifted up, and thrown yet secured the safety of the kid. The enemy released its sinister aura and transformed into a creature near to a human with wings of a dragon.
"Protect this little girl, please, " she whispered to her vines and the vines enveloped the child and left.
"Now, we can continue. I was born to help regulate the flow of order in this world. Humans are not your food."
"Come with me."
"No, you have changed."
They fought until she killed the demon and her, in a grave state. The last image she saw before passing out was a man riding in a horse.
When she woke up, she found herself in a room.
"Oh, you wake up!" The man walked towards her with a big smile.
"I found you in the–" he didn't finish his words. Interrupted and stunned as the woman landed a soft bite to his neck.
"Hey! What are you doing– ack!" she pinned him down and sucked his blood. The wounds all over her body recuperated. When she opened her eyes, she screamed out of shock. They both stared at each other and then the woman shouted.
"You?!"