Seven thousand, six hundred and twelve years ago

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The sky was clear. Funny, that was. Throughout the two months of war, they rarely saw good weather. It was as if today the world wanted them all to watch unimpeded. Leylin looked up as his brother, the King, scaled mount Andor with faltering, uneven steps. He wanted to scream, to plead, to run up to Ravenlock and carry his wounded body back to their home. But he did none of these things. Every part of him was dyed black by the magic that bound him in place. The other apprentices didn’t strain against their Oaths like he did. Not because they didn’t want to, but because they understood the futility of it.

Ravenlock stumbled and slipped, body crushing against sharp rocks and solid stone as he fell. His hands found an overhang moments before he plummeted to the canyon below. Millions watched as he dangled on the edge, but none stepped forth. The king of aspects had demanded that he climb the mountain alone, and without the aid of magic. It was an insult. A way to degrade the former king and all the species he ruled over. With a push, Ravenlock got his body onto solid ground again, leaving a bloody handprint behind.

Leylin tried to clench his fists, but the Oath denied him even that. Why had they surrendered? He couldn’t understand it. They could win, despite the ashfen betrayal. Even if they didn’t, dying would have been preferable to such humiliation. Mages hovered in the air over him. He couldn’t see their faces, but he knew what they were. Cowards, all of them. Even if they bled, even if they were lacking limbs. The word stung and burned. Cowardice. Because of it, his brother had to suffer.

The sun had turned red by the time Ravenlock reached the top. He was panting, bruised and bleeding, but he stood and waited. Waited for judgement, and the world’s end.

Wind parted the clouds as the aspect of life descended from the skies. The king of aspects they had so desperately fought against. Its grey scales and horns seemed almost ethereal, smouldering under the rays of the setting sun. Wings that eclipsed the sky and cast a shade of mist on the entire mountain. It had a splendour Leylin couldn’t deny, and a beauty he despised.

“Defeat.” Its voice boomed, filling the world. “That was your fate all along.” Its body slithered and coiled around the top of the mountain. “Your attempts to change it have left you with a simple choice.” Its talons gripped a boulder and its serpentine body stood tall. “Swear an oath and live, or fight and perish. Now, king of species… Make your decision.”

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“State your terms,” Ravenlock didn’t raise his head.

“Servitude, and death.” The aspect leaned forward, horns stopping shy of Ravenlock’s face. “Humans will bear a curse that forces them to slumber. Every day, the Oath will slowly turn their bodies and minds lethargic, until they collapse.”

It was a cruel punishment. It ensured that humans would always have a flaw. A weakness to be exploited by other species.

“I accept.” Ravelock spoke without hesitation. He was trembling whole, fighting just to stay standing.

“That was your punishment.” The aspect retreated, its body circling the mountain top again. “Now for death…"

Wind died down and all sound quieted. Leylin could hear the beats of his own heart in this impossible silence. The world halted, and a sickening feeling settled in Leylin’s stomach. They had all failed. They had all failed and it was time to pay the price.

“We let you roam the world and live without interfering. We allowed you immortality, only to have it turned against us. You’ve proved that your greed and transgressions know no end.” The aspect grasped the boulder below it with its talons and its surface cracked under their force. “One hundred years. As long as aspects exist in this world, that is all the time inferior species will have. Their bodies will succumb to time and their lives will end. Not by battle, wound or illness, but by their own hand.”

Leylin lost the tightness in his chest. The muscles in his neck relaxed and his shoulders shook in muffled laughter. He knew it couldn’t end like this. The war and all its slaughter… It could never be resolved with words and promises, and the aspect knew it. It had set a term that was no different from suicide. He pushed magic to his fingers and readied himself for battle. The moment Ravenlock denied, the Oath would be undone, and the battle would start.

With the entire world watching, his brother turned and faced him. There was something solemn in his gaze. He was pleading. Begging not to be hated by the only family this war had left him.

Leylin stared back in silent judgement. He knew that Ravenlock couldn’t see the big picture. He was broken by loss. They all were. But still, he believed there was no way he’d accept that term. It would be madness.

Ravenlock turned to face the aspect again. “Forgive me,” he whispered, and dark Oath magic swallowed the world.