Kingdom of Zuland, The Grezeit Tower, Present day.
Sara followed behind her father whom was painstakingly quiet. They traversed through the long hallways of Grezeit, and beyond the outer walls to a tower that slept alone away from the rest of the castle. Though she was puzzled on why he chose the tower. As long as she could remember, the tower was a room of recluse for her father. Cold air bit her skin as they neared the solitary giant.
The sound of waves crashing against the surrounding cliffs and a low howl of wind is all that could be heard.
She was always told not to come here as a child. The height alone was enough to keep her seven-year-old self away. But there was much more to inspire one to steer clear of the tower. A chill of fear ran down her spine as she caught a glimpse below, she quickly looked away and tried to focus on following in her father's footsteps. The image imbedded itself in her mind. Large jagged rocks as sharp as spears, cold waters that licked the snow from the escarpment. And to complete the frightening scene, the ocean roared like an injured beast.
"Only my most trusted are privy to what goes on beyond these walls." Her father spoke aloud so his voice may be heard above the wind. Though his gaze remained on the tower.
To Sara's dismay, the tower was as she expected. Cracked stairs that spiraled endlessly, walls painted in moss and torches that flickered with a dying light.
"Grab the torch." Instructed her father, as he pointed to the nearest one.
The smell of old wood filled her nostrils as she walked past and pulled it from its sconce.
"Now. Place it here." He nudged his head toward an empty pricket beside the entrance.
She did as he instructed, she raised an eyebrow. Alright…
Shortly after, the stone wall beside the torch slid aside. The grinding of stone on stone was ear-wrenching. The opening revealed a new spiral of steps that led underground.
She blinked rapidly, to be sure that her eyes weren't lying to her. Stories of such contraptions could only be found in books, though here it was; a secret passage.
Orange light bounced off of the walls. Unlike the other torches, the ones below were well-fed and burned much brighter.
"You'll soon see the legacy of Zuland." Her father's boots echoed as he traversed down the steps.
Sara walked in his shadow, as his large cloak covered the warm torchlight.
~~~
The room before her resembled a torture chamber. Is that what this was?
"What is this place, father?" Her focus jumped throughout the room.
The grey slate-colored walls didn't reflect the light from the light crystals all too well, giving the room an eerie ambiance. Two large waist-high stone slabs were planted at the center, perhaps they were used as beds or even tables. Odd and worn tools were spread each of the slabs. Four well-carved stone coffins were lined against the opposite end of the chamber. They were significantly larger than the average coffin one would find in a sepulcher. There seemed to be some writing on them.
"This is where I have been studying the prowess that have been long lost to us. The Forbidden Auras." Her father spread his arms in a grandiose fashion.
"Forbidden Auras? You mean the old tales of magic?" The thoughts swirled in a pool of confusion. Sara didn't believe in such superstitions…then again, recent events had cut through the fabric of what she believed to be real.
Her father circled the stone slate as he ran his hand across its smooth surface. "Yes. Though dubbed as old tales, Forbidden Auras are quite real, and they hold the powers to shift the continent, perhaps even all of Elsire." He turned, a frown on his lips. "Ramses died to protect our legacy."
The sudden mention of her fiancé made her stomach uneasy. She looked away to hide her discomfort. "What are you talking about?"
"The Forbidden Auras are a power that only a fraction of the world knows about. But those that do would do anything to take it for themselves. One of the factions that knew of them were the Enlancers."
Sara bit her lip and stood straight. Her heart kept a slow pace as she recalled her studies of history. The Enlancers were a faction of made up of soldiers and subjects that believed in freedom outside the Allied Kingdom's rule. Just as royal bloodlines had been passed through generations, so were the beliefs of the Enlancers. Children growing up while being told that they were free of the laws of kings. It was an idiotic and malformed way of thinking, and yet a century later the Enlancer rebellion was still alive to plague her kingdom today.
"I asked Ramses in aiding me with the finding of the auras that were said to be locked away inside ancient artifacts. Truth be told, I had been studying them since you were just a little thing. After years of searching, Ramses found one of the artifacts; Biotic Aura. It is a form of magic that allows the user to drain the aura from any form of life. Once the aura is taken, the user gains an astonishingly high resistance to both magic and physical damage, making them near unstoppable. Four years ago, the Enlancer rebels attacked a stronghold of mine in attempts to take it for themselves. That was the day Ramses died."
Hundreds of questions lined up in Sara's thoughts, though she was unable to voice a single one. Rather, she simply listened, making sure that not a single detail eluded her.
"The rebels that attacked were largely made up of men that were once Loradel soldiers and subjects. Do you understand now? Leaders that hold the lives of their people and are unable to lead should be revoked of the right…all of which could be accomplished with this new power."
Sara's exhaled angrily as the room seem to grow warmer.
Her father walked over to the first coffin which was open and filled only with cobwebs. "I knew that if I tried to seize control over Loradel that there would be bloodshed evenly on both sides. But after I found this new power, I would be able to take all of Eredia with minimum casualties, it would save the lives of thousands. And I would be the second king to ever unite all of Eredia and end the rebellions. Biotic was too much to handle for the common man, it will kill those not powerful enough to wield it. But before he passed, Ramses helped find warriors that were capable and helped us create the Slayers." He placed his hand on the first coffin. The writing on it read: The Serpentslayer. "My first new candidates were siblings. Unfortunately, we lost one of the two." He walked past the second one which read: The Dragonslayer. "Because of what happened to the first, we feared that the sibling would meet the same fate and had him in a deep sleep for years."
"Years?" asked Sara. "How has he survived this long?"
"Patience, daughter. Our final attempt was with one of our very own soldiers." He tapped on the third stone cocoon. "And it was a success—meet The Lionslayer."
The coffin trembled, shaking off a thin layer of dust. The stone doors were like that of an iron maiden.
Sara's mouth was dry.
The stone roared. A blue light emerged from opening. Inside the coffin was a knight. Cobalt armor decorated every inch of his body. A blue energy pulsed around his armor and emerged from the darkness of his visor. He had a helm which resembled a lion and a fur collar to mimic a mane. He grabbed the edges and slowly pulled himself from his stone cell. The entire room seem to quake as his he stepped down. His thunderous stomp cracked the stone at his feet. He cast an elegant blue glow that danced like an open flame.
Sara eyed the large knight. "Are you human?"
The knight simply gazed down on her.
Her father sighed. "Biotic grants the user an overabundance of power which allows them to never have to consume food or sleep. Unfortunately finding one who is strong enough to wield such powers is incredibly rare and comes at a significant cost. He is at his core, still human. But he is unable to speak coherently at times."
Sara paused on the thought, any man willing to give so much to prove his loyalty was a true warrior of Zuland. But he was more than that—he was Rames' legacy. "Though you may not be able to answer me, you are a shining example of this nation's propriety, knight. May our future burn bright with men like you at the vanguard."
The large knight kneeled on one knee. "Lionslayer…ready to heed your command."