Chapter 0 - The Godless Day

The clanging of sharp metal against metal, twangs of bowstrings and clamoring wails of fallen soldiers melded into a grand melody of war. A sea of steel-clad men crashed into the walls of the city, wave after wave, slowly making their way up. As the men who were positioned above pushed back each tide, a steel gilded battering ram slowly made it’s way towards the iron gates. The harmonious battle which seemed to be at a standstill immediately changed as the battering ram’s first strike resounded. The slow beating increased with tempo and so did the fervor the men fought with.

“Push them back! Reinforce the gates!” a general barked at the soldiers who grit their teeth and fought with all their might. Their tenacity in the face of overwhelming peril shone through their eyes as they single-mindedly held the line. However their destinies have already been decided.

“Bwong!”

With a final strike, the iron gates fell. The sound silenced the battlefield for a moment, only to be broken by a soldier yelling “Charge!”. The men outside endlessly poured into the city. Seeing the breach of the gates, the men defending the walls faltered for a moment allowing their enemies to assail the walls with ease. Their swords reached their targets, which including the general.

“They’ve breached the gates! They’ve breached the gates!” screamed a few of the weaker willed men as mass panic erupted on the walls.

“Retreat to the castle! Protect the king!” shouted an officer who ran in the opposite direction of the soldiers who were flooding into the city streets.

Within the castle standing in the throne room congregated various people of the court.

“Your holiness, what should we do? They’re already sieging the wa-” an advisor was cut off by the officer rushing into the room.

“They’ve made it into the city!” he shouted.

The aged king frowned, adding even more wrinkles and creases to his raisined face. Pensively he scanned his subjects, each looked equally frightened by the grim news. Everyone stood silently, awaiting guidance from their god king.

The war between the two kingdoms had been raging for a millennium and the people only knew of war. There was a time when the king once led his own armies to war and he had time and time again come back alive out of many desperate situations, mainly thanks to his divine protection. But now with the enemy knocking on his doorstep he couldn’t help to sigh. “Why won’t god speak with me?” As the king was pondering this a young boy walked into the throne room.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

“Father, are we going to be okay?” asked the boy with a similarly worried look about him.

To reassure the boy, the king painfully smiled and said “Everything will be fine.” as he placed his hand on the boy’s head and laughed.

“Black Fox, take him and some of our retainers to a remote place, far from here. Protect my son.” ordered the king.

“Understood.” a voice echoed throughout the room.

A pale elderly man, dressed in a midnight robe, seemed to appear out of the darkness. He extended his boney hand towards the boy and whispered an incoherent chant. He fell unconsciously to the floor. “Wh-what are you doing?” asked an official. “Don’t worry, you won’t remember anyways.” he replied as he repeated the same spell, this time for everyone else.

Once everyone was laid onto the marble ground the magician started chanting a more complicated spell. Circular patterns started to appear all around the group and started to emit a blue light which grew stronger with each passing moment. Finally at the apex, when the room was drowning in color, the boy, retainers and Black Fox disappeared without a trace.

Almost immediately after the throne room doors were broken through. The soldiers arrayed themselves in a formation surrounding the king. Slowly the enemy leader walked towards the center and removed his helm. Golden hair flowed out to his back, pointed ears holding it in place and his fierce emerald eyes were fixed on his prey.

“Nowhere to hide to now, human.” he smiled viciously.

“Even if you kill me, god will return.” the frail king smiled back.

He drew his sword and plunged it through the king’s heart. “Your god is dead.”

With the king now dead, pandemonium ensued as the invaders ransacked the capital. If one wasn’t killed on the spot, they were tied up and shuttled to carts like cattle to be sold at market. This invasion would be seared into the hearts of many, forever remembered as the day that their god had forsaken them: The Godless Day.