The darkness was powerful, spreading across the lands like a poison and slowly eating it away. Whoever came into contact with the darkness was fully consumed and turned into a shadow, a hollow husk of their former selves.

Emon and a few of the survivors gathered together in one of the cities under the watchful eye of Argus. The Guardians were immune to the darkness as they were beings made of light.

It had been a few weeks and already the people were losing hope. Food was running low, disease was spreading amongst them. Many went out to face off against the Demon that plagued the lands under protective seals embedded onto their cloaks, some were wounded, many were killed.

Whilst many were dying, families were torn apart, fights were breaking out over a morsel of food; Emon found it an apt punishment. Especially witnessing his tribe slowly becoming obsessed with the material rather than the spiritual teachings passed down by their ancestors. He knew it was despicable of him to think that however the thought still prevailed in his mind. However they were still his people, his tribe entrusted to him by his father and so he had an obligation, nay a duty to protect them despite their moral misgivings. Despite this however, Emon felt a despair spreading over him. How could they fight the Demon that plagued their lands? A Demon who overwhelmed the Guardians themselves? The Guardians were immune to the Demons for they were beings of Light, however his people were beings of flesh. There was no way they could withstand the overwhelming darkness and sheer power of the beast.

As despair slowly settled over him, Emon knelt for one last prayer to whatever God was listening for a solution to his predicament so that he may fulfill his duty as Village Chief to his people. He prayed to the Gods for a light to guide him through the darkness, a beacon for him and his people during these hopeless times.

That night Emon had a dream of the Guardian of the Lake who could shoot lightning from its tusks and stand atop the temples of worship that surrounded it. A collosi so huge that it's leg touched the bottom of the lake itself. The people called him Pelagia. Atop his head were ores of a mysterious kind. If their archers tried to shoot it, it invoked Pelagia's wrath as they were greeted by bolts of lightning. One of their scientists climbed atop its back and managed to chip off a piece but was promptly drowned and the piece was forever lost within the lake.

In the dream Emon witnessed a man with a mask removing the ore, a forbidden act especially by those who worshipped the Guardian. The man raised the ore to the heavens and suddenly there was a flash of lightning and instead of the ore the man now held a sword that shone as bright as the sun.

Emon woke and he knew what he must do.

At dawn him and a few members left for Pelagia's land under the darkened skies. It was a long trek and along the way they ran into the Demon's shadow creatures. There just but a few at first but as Emon's people battled the demon and failed, more were added to their ranks. It was a long trek, one that took a few days. A few from their ranks were wounded, some had been corrupted and at the end it was only Emon that scaled the cliffs and entered Pelagia's temple.

There were but a few people there, mainly worshippers of the colossi or as Emon liked to think of them, the forsakers. Those who had left the old ways of the tribe to worship the Guardians. They had built three temples within the lake surrounding the Guardian. Many would climb atop the temples and attract the Guardians attention, the Guardian would them lean over them and they would consider themselves blessed by the Guardian.

As he entered, Emon could see he was not welcome. A few of their people had evacuated to the temple but the Shaman stared at him like he had committed a crime. The head of the Pelagia temple came to him, a man named Seido. He said one word, "Speak."

Emon told him his plans. There was outrage amongst the Shaman as how could anyone harm their beloved God. Especially one who had publicly shunned their people and their beliefs. Emon begged, pleading that it was the only way. They told him to leave. Emon got on his knees and begged yet again.

"If not for me, do it for your people."

And Emon was right. Those who had evacuated to the temple were starving, many were sick and their eyes were glazed over like that of a corpse.

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Seido hesitated before finally giving Emon the clear. However if Emon died, nobody would be recovering his corpse or the ore.

Armed with only his sword and rope Emon walked through the stone hallways until he appeared at the edge of the lake. Pelagia had just awoken, it's horns glowing a pale blue. Emon swam across the lake and towards Pelagia who just peered at him curiously. Pelagia didn't have any eyes unlike the other Guardians which Emon and many others found eerie. Emon climbed atop the moss on his back which Pelagia was used to. Many times the scientists and worshippers. The scientists to study the ore and the worshippers as a form of worship.

Emon tied the rope to the hilt of his blade and wrapped it around the ore, one of which looked loose. It was then Pelagia realised what was happening, its tusks turned a vibrant orange, he started shaking his head furiously to toss Emon off but Emon held on. Grabbing the fur with his right hand he pulled the sword with his left, pulling it with as much strength as he could muster. He could feel the ore loosening, if he could just tug it one more time...

With a final heave of strength Emon removed the ore. Pelagia let out a shrill moan of pain and before he knew it Emon was launched across the air as his back hit one of the stone temples and the world around him turned black.

...

By the time Emon woke it was already dusk. Pelagia had already submerged and Emon could feel pain a sharp pain across his body. But all was well as he had the ore tightly clutched in his arms like he was holding an infant. Emon limped towards the temple, clutching the ore in his arms. Their next stop was the blacksmiths.

Emon and his men headed to the forge, home of the Guardian Celosia. As they rushed to the forge Emon noticed that the creatures of shadow avoided them, a few came close but when they saw the ore they reeled back like wounded animals.

Only but a few blacksmiths remained. Most had been killed off by the creatures, others had left the forge never to return. Celosia patrolled the forge, chasing away any creatures that approached the perimeter.

Emon told the remaining blacksmiths of his dream and what he expected to do. Some were hesitant as they weren't sure they should be tampering with the Guardians, others not so much for they wanted to see their families.

From the fires of the forge came the Sword of Light. Or as the blacksmiths called it, the sword of the Ancients. Emon raised the sword into the air and from the heavens a bright beam of light shone. The sword shined as bright as the sun, expelling the shadow creatures that descended onto the forge, turning them into ash. The people cheered, Celosia roared into the air for finally there was hope. The demon could be expelled, the lands could be saved. The blacksmiths gifted Emon a mask, a mask of power enhanced with magical runes that would increase Emon's strength. Finally after months of suffering, the land could be saved.

...

The Demon could be found in the Guardian Basaran's land. Once a beautiful oasis with green gardens and pure springs was now reduced to barren grounds and violent geysers that shook the earth and spewed a violent torrent of water into the heavens.

There the Demon and Basaran were at odds. Challenging each other with sheer strength and colossal force. The Demons sword barely pierced Basaran's hide while shadows curled around the holes that Basaran's bolts of lightning seared into the Demon.

Emon's soldiers let out a battle cry as Emon raised the sword to the sky. A beam of light struck the sword like a bolt of lightning and the Demon turned.

The war raged on. Emon's army was slowly being consumed by the Shadow creatures despite Emon's best efforts to expel them. The Demon stopped its fight with the Guardian and stomped towards Emon. Emon rolled out of the way as the Demon released a breath of searing hot flames. Emon did not know how he would face the beast. Most of his men were dead, the Guardian lay limp on the ground and it was only Emon that stood in the way of this Beast and the death of his Tribe.

Emon raised the sword up into the air, the light struck the sword and knocked the beast back. Slowly the Demon shrunk, writhing in pain. It keeled over as the light turned the once intimidating demon to a shadow the size of a man.

Emon walked towards the demon and stabbed it with his sword. Darkness swirled around him, black tendrils crashed on the ground like waves. Black blood splattered across Emon's face, staining his mask. Slowly the darkness was absorbed unto the blade like ink on paper until the Demon disappeared and all that was left was a man.

The man seemed to be on deaths door, gasping for breath. His blood stained Emon's sword a filthy black instead of a passionate crimson. His face now dark and his eyes glazed. Emon realised the man, a noble man who had come begging in his temple for the fruit that would save his sons life. A noble man who was a victim of twisted materialistic men who were as vile as the Demon were that threatened their land. A man who turned away from his faith and turned to darkness to bring back that which he had lost.

"My son," he said in a raspy voice.

"He is at peace now," Emon told him.

The Man pointed at Emon's sword. "Separate the Demon, make sure his spirit is never allowed to merge again."

The Man was holding a sword in his left hand, a sword made of pure darkness. "And hide this sword away from any mortal lest the Demon tempts another man to go down the path I have."

Slowly the dark sky opened and light poured in. The creatures of shadow vanished and the sun shone upon them. The clouds parted and a ray of light shined across the Man. The Man smiled, letting out his last breath in the light after seeing only the darkness for so long.