I had been taught that war was born with humanity, but I did not know that history had first-hand experience to offer. As a scribe in my youth, I had witnessed the entire realm engulfed in flames. It was a time when farmers harvested bones and skulls from the fields, the skies cried blood, and all the people of Thalmyrendell lost hope. While I was training among the other scribes, I could hear the footsteps of disaster across the realm. I had escaped several times and been to the battlefields. I had my first scribal job before I had finished my training. I always considered it a miracle that I survived in that savage environment where armies attacked each other with all their might. After a while, there was so much bloodshed that the armies of both sides, regardless of their race or side, looked one and the same because they were dressed in red. That's when I realized at a young age that it didn't matter how many people died. No victory or throne awaited anyone. No matter who prevailed over whom, it was a lost battle. Nevertheless, I did my duty and wrote down everything that happened in all its nakedness. After I wrote my last word, I finished with a drop of blood that fell on my page. I never knew who that drop of blood belonged to. I remember that as the days passed and people died, the fighting became more intense. Until sooner or later I reached that day.
I was not there. I am quoting from the manuscripts in the world archive of my teacher who was there that day:
"The armies of the two sides faced each other for the last time in the vast desert of Ravaryn. These two huge armies kept everyone on their toes, but the leaders of those armies frightened everyone more. Pultagor and Viator. The two warriors responsible for the endless slaughter. Without doubt the two mightiest leaders Thalmyrendell had ever seen. They were facing each other that day, and it was clear that this time it was only between these two men. Pultagor looked down on his enemies in all his splendor, his spear reaching almost to the setting sun, and on his horse, still blacker than the darkest night despite all his struggles. He was strong enough to wield the huge spear with one hand, and out of the crowd of soldiers, Viator stepped forward and stood before him. Even the army standing behind him could not hide their fear of Pultagor. When I looked closely, I saw the fear of death in the eyes of the soldiers. Viator, on the other hand, had not a trace of fear and stood before Pultagor with all his rage. In his hand was a black sword. It was extremely long and thin. He gripped it with both hands and seemed to be burning with the thought of spilling Pultagor's blood on the dry sands of the desert. For a while they both looked at each other. Nothing was said and the desert was deathly silent. Viator made the first move. He started to run. His sword was heavy, but so sharp that it cut through the air with ease. He got as close as he could to Pultagor's horse and then he raised his sword and jumped. He jumped with such force that he even towered over Pultagor's huge body. Behind him he stretched as far as he could to swing his sword. Pultagor recognized this attack and reached for his spear. In mid-air, he made a quick thrust against Viator, but Viator was faster. He swung his sword at the spear and attacked once more over the falling spear. Just as he was about to swing his sword down and decapitate Pultagor, Pultagor made another move with his spear. He lifted it up and threw Victor to a distant point behind him. Viator fell to the ground and lost his balance, but was not much affected. As he slowly straightened up, Pultagor attacked. He was riding his horse towards Viator. Viator recovered and immediately put his guard up to parry the attack coming at him. He thought it would come straight at him and stab him with the spear, but at the last moment Pultagor made a quick move and struck Viator in the head from the left side. Viator was thrown once more. Pultagor's spear was more perfect in every respect than a normal spear. On the left side of Viator's face, it had made a wound so deep that his teeth were showing. Viator was once again on guard. When Pultagor came at him again with his horse, he quickly maneuvered to the right and cut off all 4 legs of his horse in one move. Pultagor fell off his horse and skidded. Viator waited a while for him to recover. The horse between them was also in agony. Pultagor straightened up and gripped his spear. Then he looked at his dying horse. You could see the sadness on his face. He grabbed his spear stronger and threw it very quickly at Viator's sword. Viator had not expected anything like this and lost his balance. After the collision both mighty weapons went flying. Pultagor ran towards Viator with his huge body. Viator was also running towards him. Both of their fists collided with each other. Then Pultagor grabbed Viator with his other hand, lifted him up and threw him into a corner. Then he went for his spear. He threw his sword at Viator, who was barely able to stand up, and took his guard. Viator went for his sword. They both began to attack each other with all their might. They fought until it was completely dark. Until a ray of light appeared. The ray of light said it was a god and both Pultagor and Viator
in an instant. That day it rained all over the land, including the deserts. The light pointed to a young soldier among the armies and eight men came out of the light. Then the light disappeared. The 8 people introduced themselves as Soltar`s. They said that they were blessed with sorcerer power and that they had been sent to save the land by serving the leader chosen by the light. And that leader was the young warrior Caesar."
According to my teacher's manuscripts in the world archives, this is how the war ended. From that day on, armies were disbanded. Swords were sheathed and all the peoples of Thalmyrendell witnessed peace for the first time in a long time. Caesar set up his capital in Eldrath, in the green and fertile lands beyond the desert. He wanted to rule the whole land from there. Two Soltar came with him and the others scattered all over Thalmyrendell to serve Caesar. Time passed like water. Year after year, and Thalmyrendell was no longer the same. It seemed that Caesar had finally put everything right. So he chose to retire slowly to his palace. Gradually he disappeared, and the rumors of his death grew more and more every day. The Soltars had not been seen by anyone for years. Not in the capital or anywhere else. Not even the chief scribes, who were the source of information for the whole realm. The spilled grains of sand fueled the rumors, and when rumors challenge the truth, the seeds of unrest begin to grow into chaos.
A group calling itself "Sons of Pultagor" started to carry out terrorist acts in various regions, but especially in the capital. The time when my life was completely ruined was the day they raided Duskaris` where all the clerks lived. They wanted to enter the world archive and set the whole Duskaris on fire. I almost died that day, until at the last moment a Soltar came and saved me. He pulled me out of the chaos and took me to the palace. Two days later I learned that everyone in Duskaris was dead and I was the last surviving scribe. My days were spent in the palace, behind a high guard. At that time I met Caesar. Yes, I met him. He was not dead, but he was no different from dead. For the first time in my life I saw someone so exhausted, his face and body completely collapsed, his color white. He spent his days on his throne and could barely perform even basic movements. I had long conversations with him. He told me that the raid on Duskaris happened because they thought that some information they were looking for might be in the world archive. The rain that fell on the last day of the war had provided the Soltars with the purest water in the land, which gave them their strength. They were looking for the location of this water. He kept asking me if I knew where it was. Even though the answer was "no" every time, he persisted. Only a descendant of the scribe could enter the world archive, but he refused to let me return to Duskaris, both because he thought it was too late and because of the risks. So I decided to write the book you are reading now, to fulfill my duty as the last surviving scribe. I started writing Tenebris during my time in the palace, I wrote down everything I knew and learned.
As the days passed, the acts of terror increased. Every other day the capital was filled with explosions and screams. Sooner or later the order was given to evacuate the city and slowly people began to be transported to a safe zone built in Ravaryn. Some groups were on their way further north, to the snowy mountains of Solmora. On the evening of the day when the evacuation began, the events that followed would usher in a new era in Thalmyrendell - autumn.
In the evening, there were more screams, but this time they were very different. It was inhuman. It was not a cry of pain but of hunger. Beyond the walls and ramparts of the palace, we locked onto the sky. A cloud seemed to be moving very fast over the capital. When we looked a little more carefully, we realized it wasn't a cloud at all, but creatures that had never been seen before, creatures that could fly. They had human bodies split vertically in two, covered in a black tar-like substance that bound their bodies together and allowed wing-like structures to form between their legs and arms, and giant beaks of bone. Thousands of them descended on the capital, screaming. They ate everyone they caught. The soldiers were trying to save everyone they could. We were trying to get as many people as we could into the palace. They were trying to get in through every hole they could find and they were extremely strong. The army was completely unprepared for such an unexpected enemy. The two Soltars opened giant portals and tried to send everyone who had managed to take refuge in the palace to safety, but it was only a matter of time before the creatures got in. Finally, when it was just Caesar, myself and the two Soltars left in the palace, they finally managed to get in. We took refuge in the throne room, one of the Soltars holding the door while the other tried to open another portal with the last of his strength. In his desperation, Caesar stood up and took out a long sheath from a secret compartment under his throne. From the sheath he took out a spear, very similar to the spear of Pultagor described in the books. Before he even realized what was happening, one of the creatures managed to get in and Caesar killed it with a single attack with the spear. Immediately more creatures started coming in. Caesar was fighting them all. Just as one of the creatures was coming at me, Soltar saved me by pushing me through the portal he had barely opened. As soon as I fell in the middle of the desert, the portal closed behind me.
I spent days in the middle of the desert with only my book and my pen. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and collapsed. I could hear the scavenging birds, but obviously I wasn't supposed to die. One of the caravans that had set out before the attack found me almost dead. They took care of me. They gave me rations, water and a map. Thanks to their help I managed to reach the safe zone in Ravaryn. "It looks like I will spend the rest of my life here," I said to myself. The years flew by again. Life in the desert was hard, but at least it was safe. I had come out of the apocalypse and longed for such security. I met new people, but one woman made a great impression on me. My beloved wife Miriel. I was finally living a life that could be considered happy. The day I found out that I was going to have a child, a rose bloomed in the middle of the apocalypse.
When I say that, I feel cursed. Nightmares haunted me at night. I thought that Tenebris was watching me, cursing me. The more nightmares I had, the more peace disappeared for me once more. One day, when I couldn't take it anymore, I packed my things. I had to finish this book, I had to write down the realm as the last remaining scribe. I couldn't stay here. I couldn't sleep at night, I couldn't make up my mind, I was physically failing. I spoke to Miriel and left the only safe place I knew. I set out to complete Tenebris and learn more.
My only wish is that this book will lead to the salvation of Thalmyrendell.