Living in Unden meant you knew two things for certain, how to farm its rich land and that Lord Kazai was your ruler. Agriculture kept Unden profitable and it was the hub that Lord Kazai used to manage the rest of his lands. The entire East was his and no one questioned it. No one except Ingvar. King Ingvar, who ruled the West was Lord Kazai’s rival, but they both didn’t always have their titles. In fact, the only reason they owned these stations of power was due in part to each other. Allow me to explain…
Before the days of Lord Kazai and King Ingvar, they both served as the respective right hand men to their rulers. Kazai in the East and Ingvar in the West. Kazai served under Lord Dimytros Unden, for which this town was named. Ingvar served under King Wellick. The two they served were similarly rivals in their own way, but time had not been kind to either and they both soon fell ill. Kazai and Ingvar didn’t take their titles because nature ran its course, they took their titles because fate did.
In a last effort to settle their disputes before they died, Lord Unden and King Wellick chose a representative for a battle destined to settle their differences. A battle of this caliber required them to send their strongest warrior. Of course Lord Unden chose Kazai and King Wellick chose Ingvar. The night before the battle, Lord Unden presented Lord Kazai with a new katana. The strongest blade in all the land, Rednefed. The blade itself was imbued with the power to block any attack and made Kazai nearly invincible.
The battle itself raged for days and it is said that the heavens wept and the ground was torn asunder. Mountains crumbled and the oceans shifted. The world waited with bated breath for the victor to return, but both men survived. No one truly knows what happened on the mountain, but Kazai and Ingvar returned to their respective rulers. Lord Unden was furious when Kazai returned. He was unable to get the closure he desired, so he ordered his men to put Kazai in a cell and torture him.
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He bled, he screamed, but they could not break him. Despite the wounds, it was obvious that something happened when he was wielding Rednefed for that legendary encounter with Ingvar. The blade had become a part of him and just like the blade he could withstand anything. This drove Lord Unden even further into madness. He couldn’t defeat his rival and now he couldn’t torture the man who denied him his victory. Lord Unden decided to banish Kazai from his land.
His men unchained Kazai and removed him from the cell. They dragged him out of Lord Unden’s castle and threw him to the ground just outside. Much to the surprise of Lord Unden’s knights and Lord Unden himself, there were many people gathered outside the castle that day. Kazai looked up at these people, wondering why they were there. Then he heard one of them speak…
“It’s him! The legendary warrior! Lord Kazai!”
The people referred to him as a lord, but he didn’t hold that title yet.
“The one who stood toe to toe with Ingvar!” said another.
“He who shook the world!”
“Shook the world?” Kazai thought. He couldn’t help but smile. He put his hand out to help himself up, but what he felt on the ground in front of him was the sheath of Rednefed. Somehow the blade was on the ground in front of him. Kazai did not question it, instead he stood up proudly and raised the blade. The people cheered and at that moment he noticed they were armed. Lord Unden’s knights didn’t stand a chance. Neither did those inside the castle. How can you stop a man who can’t be cut down? If Ingvar could not do it, how could the sick Lord Unden?
In mere moments, Lord Unden was dead. Had he not made poor decisions he would have been dead due to natural causes soon anyway and Lord Kazai may never have become Lord at all. Though unlikely since the people obviously wanted him to rule. Lord Kazai took on his new title and the people loved him for it. Tales of his battle with King Ingvar would continue for generations, though no one truly knew what happened up there. But much like the people of Unden knew Kazai was their ruler and how to farm, the East knew two more things. The day Kazai battled Ingvar, he changed the entire world… And their invincible leader would protect them no matter what attack they faced.