Note: This is a preview of the upcoming prologue chapter of *Lightreign*. Please keep in mind that this is not a finished chapter; it has only been partially revised and is about halfway complete.
Furthermore, most, if not all, chapters will be roughly twice the length of this preview or more. I hope you enjoy this glimpse into the story and look forward to the full chapters when the novel officially begins releasing.
Thank you for reading!
— Ruinborn.
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'The first mention of the Lightreign happened over 500 years ago, when King Orion first gained his power to control sunlight which he used to forge the largest kingdom in the world at the time.
When asked by his subjects about the source of his unique abilities, Orion credited an ethereal light that had appeared to him just before an important battle with a neighboring barbarian tribe, the light promised him the 'power to reign over all'. Orion dubbed the unknown entity as the 'Lightreign' and named his own rising kingdom after it.
Before long, countless petty rulers rose up with their own powers, which they also claimed to have been given by the Lightreign and eventually used them to challenge Orion's authority. This led to an all-out war that broke the continent into various smaller islands, each controlled by one of the surviving rulers of the war, which was appropriately dubbed the 'Ruler's War'.
Over the next five centuries, more men and women appeared with powers given to them by the Lightreign, each used their abilities to become rulers of their own kingdoms or swore fealty to a more powerful ruler. Each ruler had shown the ability to pass their powers onto their children, although usually in a weaker or slightly different form, with the most powerful children of each ruler often being named their heir and successor to the throne. This created a strict class system based on those descended from what was now known as the "Lightblessed" and the rest of society.
Not long after, certain powers became heavily associated with specific regions and were even used to decorate their flags, currencies, etcetra. However, no ruler and no kingdom could achieve the same level of glory as Orion's own Lightreign as it was before the Ruler's War.
Unfortunately, because of the deaths of each of his family members, Orion's sunlight powers vanished from the world and no subsequent ruler could ever hope to compare to Orion's majesty and authority, which his power was undoubtedly the most renowned symbol of.'
- Kings & Queens of the Lightreign by the eminent scholar Rohark, Introduction Page One.
…
Arlan wrapped his hands around the frayed rope and began to pull, soon he and the two other men steadily lowered the square wooden platform carrying half a dozen cargo boxes down onto the harbor.
"Great work lads! Arlan and Cho, you two head over to the tavern and rent us some rooms." The rough faced captain spoke out as he stepped off the side of the ship and onto the harbor.
"Yes, sir," Arlan and Cho replied in unison, before heading away from the docks and into the heart of the town with eager expressions.
"Two damned months at sea on 'just a routine voyage,' he said, before dragging our boots halfway across the world!" Cho's voice was raspy from the salty sea air and lack of clean water over the past few days. He leaned down and untied a small leather satchel from his waist, pulling out two glowing blue spheres, each roughly the size of a pearl.
"Where in the three hells did you get those?" Arlan startled. Cho smirked and rolled the spheres between his fingers like a gambler with a coin.
"I found them... fair and—"
Before Cho could finish his sentence, Arlan interjected, "Don't say it. You nicked those from some noble at Saltport, didn't you?" Arlan's brow furrowed in disapproval.
"He's not gonna miss them." Cho shrugged and before Arlan could reply, they'd reached the Hangman's Trident. "We're here." Arlan stopped himself just in front of the half crooked sign, it's wooden front cracked and rotting everywhere except for the letters written in runic script, with gold edges that adorned the sign, giving it an affluent look.
Arlan quickly glanced at the rest of the building, it's own state wasn't much better than that of it's sign.. half-rotted from the roof to the wall's and even the stone foundation was cracked around it's base.
"Come on, let's see about those rooms." Cho's voice was low as he walked in first, as if he'd been here a hundred times despite it being a first for the both of them.
Inside the tavern, a wafting smell of stale booze, piss, and blood punched Cho and Arlan in the face. "That's... pungent," Cho stated, covering his nose with his forearm. Looking around, he could see countless sailors sitting around scattered tables, staring into their ales in tense silence.
Arlan nudged him forward and the two made their way to the bar at the far end of the room. "Renting, drinking, or both?" A tall bald and bearded man standing at the counter asked stoically while polishing an empty tankard, not bothering to look up at the two young sailors.
"Both, three rooms please." Arlan replied.
"Thirty silvers for the rooms and four for the drinks," the barkeep said in an unchanging tone as he continued to polish the cup, only moving to grab the 34 silver coins after Arlan placed them on the bar. Turning, he poured a gold-colored liquid into a pair of wooden mugs and placed them on the bar.
Arlan swirled the golden liquid around a few times in his cup before taking a sip. It looked like piss. It tasted like piss. "I think this is piss," Cho shouted to the room which burst into raucous laughter, the barkeep quickly joining them.
Cho glanced around before looking back at Arlan with a horrified expression. "What in the three hells is going on in my bar?!" a woman shouted as she burst around the corner from another room, her auburn hair frizzed and curled like a deranged old woman's. The laughter soon stopped as all the men in the room fell silent and returned to staring into their cups.
The bald 'barkeep' meekly stepped out from around the bar counter, his head drooping toward the floor. "How many times do I have to tell you all, to stop playing that damn old joke!" The woman shouted again as she smacked the false barkeep on the side of the head and took her position around the counter.
"Sorry about that. It's a nasty old trick they like to play on newcomers when I'm not looking. Your real drinks are on me," she said before pouring two more cups from a different tap and slamming them onto the bar. Arlan and Cho reluctantly took the cups and drank from them.
"So, what'd he get you for?" the real barkeep asked.
"Thirty-four silvers for three rooms and two drinks," Arlan replied, sipping from his ale as Cho tried to spit the taste of piss from his mouth.
"Hmph, I'll just put it on his tab," the barkeep said, whipping a rag across the countertop.