In the Valtor Kingdom, a mysterious curse had befallen the land, causing crops to wither and die, rivers to turn to dust, and the skies to grow dark. The source of the curse was traced to a dark sorcerer who had stolen the ancient Tome of Eldrid, a powerful artifact that contained the secrets of the land's creation.
As the curse spread, people began to fall ill, their bodies wracked with pain as the very life force was drained from them. The kingdom's healers were powerless against the dark magic, and the death toll mounted.
Sir Valric, a trusted knight of the realm, burst into the royal court, his armor battered and his face grim. "Your Majesty!" he exclaimed, kneeling before the king. "I bring grave news. The curse has spread to the capital city. People are dying in the streets, and the city is in chaos!"
The ministers gasped in shock, their faces pale. The king's expression turned grim. "How did this happen?" he demanded.
Sir Valric hesitated, his eyes darting around the room. "It's said that the dark sorcerer has used the Tome of Eldrid to summon a powerful entity from the Shadow Realm. It's a creature of pure darkness, feeding on the life force of our people."
The court erupted into chaos, with ministers shouting questions and demanding answers. The king's face turned red with rage. "Summon the Royal Guard!" he thundered. "We will not sit idly while our people die! We must find this sorcerer and put an end to this curse before it's too late!"
The king's face was set in a determined expression as he summoned the Royal Guards to his throne room. "Search the kingdom far and wide," he commanded, his voice firm and authoritative. "Find every sorcerer, every magician, every wielder of magic and bring them before me. I want them here, in my palace, and I want them now."
The guards nodded, their faces set with determination. "Yes, Your Majesty," their captain replied. "We will search every corner of the kingdom, every village, every town, every city. We will find them all."
The king's eyes narrowed. "And when you do, bring them to me. I will give them a choice: undo the magic that is destroying our kingdom, or face my wrath. I will not hesitate to strike down anyone who refuses to help us."
The guards nodded again, their faces grim. They knew the king's reputation for justice, and they knew that he would not hesitate to carry out his threats.
As the guards dispersed to begin their search, the king's mind raced with thoughts of the sorcerers he had once trusted. Gaius, the Shadow Weaver, had been the first to betray him, but he knew that there were others, others who had also wielded magic and had also sworn loyalty to the crown.
He thought of the previous day that Gaius requested for the tome of eldrid, "how could he have stolen it after my warnings? This is unbelievable, I don't think he is the one, what if another magician..."
The king's grip on his throne tightened as he thought of the coming days, the days of reckoning and judgment. He would not rest until every sorcerer had been brought before him, until every last one had been given the chance to redeem themselves.
And if they refused... well, the king's sword was sharp, and his arm was strong. He would not hesitate to strike down anyone who stood in his way.
As the Royal Guards scoured the Valtor Kingdom for sorcerers, many magicians went into hiding, using their powers to disappear from sight. Some fled to secret chambers, protected by spells and incantations, while others hid in plain sight, disguising themselves as ordinary citizens.
But not all were successful in their escape. Some, with weaker powers or less cunning, were caught by the guards and dragged before the king. They were thrown into dark dungeons, their magic bound by iron chains and spells of suppression.
After three days, the king, his face stern and unforgiving, ordered the magicians to be brought out of the dungeon and into the throne room. "You have been accused of wielding magic to do evil, and of failing to use it to aid our kingdom in its time of need," he declared, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "I offer you this chance to redeem yourselves. Heal the land, restore the life force that has been drained from it, and I will spare your lives."
The magicians, their eyes filled with desperation, nodded eagerly. They raised their hands, and a faint glow of magic emanated from them. But it was clear that their powers were weak, and the land did not respond to their spells.
The king's face darkened with anger. "You pretend to be magicians, but you are nothing but frauds," he spat. "You will pay for your failure with your lives."
The magicians fell to their knees, pleading for mercy. "Please, Your Majesty," one of them begged. "Have mercy on us. We will try again, we will do better, we promise."
But the king was unmoved. "You have had your chance, and you have failed. You will be executed at dawn, in the town square, as an example to all of the consequences of failure."
The guards dragged the magicians away, throwing them back into the dungeon. The king's voice echoed through the halls, commanding that the execution be carried out at dawn, and that all of Valtor's citizens be gathered to witness it.
As the sun rose over the kingdom, the townspeople gathered in the square, their faces somber and fearful. The king sat on his throne, his eyes cold and unforgiving. The magicians, about fifteen in number their hands bound, their eyes filled with terror.
"People of Valtor, our kingdom was believed to be formed by great magic, ever since I was a boy, I have known magic to be used for good and curing sicknesses and strange diseases, our weaponrys are forged by magic, but now, the power of magic has turned many away from good to evil, magic has corrupted many, the trouble that our land is facing now and this sickness that most of you suffer was caused by one sorcerer, who broke into the temple and stole the tome of eldrid and until we find who the culprit is, every magicians will face the consequences."
The people began making noises as they asked one another who this magician is, but upon hearing the king's voice, everywhere became silent again.
"For any magician who fail to cure the sickness, he or she will face one punishment, the only punishment I can pass is death sentence."
The king raised his hand, and the executioner's sword fell, ending the lives of the magicians, one by one. The crowd gasped, and the king's face remained impassive.
"Let this be a lesson to all of you," he declared. "Magic will not be tolerated in this kingdom, anymore. Any who wield it will be punished, and any who fail to use it for the good of the kingdom will be put to death, I advice that every magician should flee my kingdom."