PROLOGUE
Heavy footsteps chimed through the long halls of the once so prosperous and prominent Tolbi Palace. A young man in shining armor was running swiftly past doors, up the stairs, a scroll wrapped tightly in his right hand. He was filling the area with loud clashes of his chain mail and thunderous pounds on the stone flooring. He panted, though he kept running whilst sweat drops clanged to his forehead and cheeks. As guards, maids and others present saw him passing by, they, as they heard the echo of the swift steps starving away in the ends of the hallways, realised what this meant: a dreadful message.
They did not say anything though, for they feared even the thought of it. The lad slowed down as he approached two other guards standing in front of the majestic entrance of his Lord.
He stopped in front of the gate and looked at the two watchmen, wearing the same kind of armor he dragged about.
They had the same fear in their eyes as the man had seen before, fear for the worst. He took a sharp breath and nodded at his colleagues, then opened the gate and he walked into the grand chamber.
The chamber in front of him was the throne hall, there were two plates placed right and left of the door, a creature was carved unto both of them, identical masterpieces. A red carpet was also placed around both tablets, one leading to the far end of the room and one at the back where there was also a throne made out of flawless Mahoney.
As he walked in he grasped the scroll even tighter, as if he was afraid to lose it somehow, as important as it was to him. The two stone tablets that were now closing him in gave him a bad feeling and the red carpet under his armored feet gave him an alarming notion, yet he strided on until he was in between the two far end rugs, closed his eyes for a second as if to prepare and then fell onto one knee.
Facing the ground he could see his own fear in the eyes of his reflection.
Nevertheless he turned to the throne in front of him and hesitantly started to speak.
He who was sitting in the throne was a middle-aged man, he had black hair which he had combed neatly backwards and his beard was trimmed as a chin curtain, neat and clean. However his eyes looked, sad and cold, fallen deep inside his skull. He was in despair, in pain, the once so strong man Iodem had been caught by melancholy.
"Callahan…is there any news?"
Callahan kept looking down at the green tiled floor, staring at the patterns. Not because of respect, no, because he was afraid, he did not dare look Iodem in the eye and tell him the news, bad news without a doubt. Callahan was a young, however strong man, he had seen things others knew only of nightmares, he was also brave and knightly, but looking at his master now, his eyes cold and full of pain, he could not bear it.
"Yes my Lord, the report said,"
Callahan stopped his sentence as he slowly looked up in his master's blank eyes.
"it said she fled to the North with him, to the fort of Lunpa, they are not to return."
Iodem curved his hand into fists, as he heard out the news, dire news indeed. He had expected bad news, but not this, this was dreadful, it was hideous.
"Callahan, how could this have happened? We have to find her, Evana…we have to find my daughter."
He stood up while he was saying this, he was enraged now, with the mixed feelings he had he didn't know what to do but to turn angry. It was all the fault of that young boy anyway, if she hadn't met him this all could be prevented. His anger started to grow and his arm started to shake now.
"My Lord?" Callahan cautiously said while looking at his master.
"Callahan,"
Iodem then said, stern and decisive.
"We will declare war upon Lunpa and Champa, until Evana is returned to me, and Eoleo is no more."
Callahan looked at Iodem unbelievingly.
"With all due respect my Lord, Champa and Lunpa are no match for us alone, since Babi has left our soil our land has not been prosperous as it once had been, our troops cannot win this."
But Iodem had long thought of this, Babi had not left him with naught. There were those, in debt of Tolbi, in debt of Babi, for a promise is a promise. Those who don't keep them, will pay.
"Callahan, make way to Vale."
--------------------------------------------------
"Evana…wake up." A soft whisper. A girl opened her ice blue eyes, about 16 years old, soft features. She was lying on a cloth, her long silver hair spread around her. She smiled to the person sitting next to her, eyes gold and red lank hair . A smile crept on his face too, seeing the broad smile of the young woman. She sat up and now fully looked into the boys' eyes.
"Good morning Eoleo."
She looked at him affectionately, putting both arms around his waist and twisting all her weight unto his chest where she rested her head and closed her eyes again.
The boy chuckled as he put his arms around the girl.
"Good morning Evana."
The dark room in which she awakened was more like a cave, as it was carved out of stone. Torches were lit on either side of the room. The rest was all fairly empty except for a piece of cloth in the middle, which they probably used as a bed.
They sat like this for while, and time seemed to fly by, until a loud knocking was heard on the door, there was someone there.
"Come in." Eoleo said, lifting himself up to his feet after letting go of Evana.
The door opened revealing a tall man with black back combed hair and a big moustache. He looked flustered as he stood in the doorstep yet did not walk in.
"Eoleo!" He barked as he looked at the young boy.
"You have placed doom upon my land!" He now walked up to the lad and grabbed the front of his shirt.
"Have I not told you that Tolbi would not have left it to this, have I not told you of the dangers, peril and threat?!"
Eoleo, who seemed far from impressed of his aggressor looked at Evana, who was now looking at them with a face of shock, then back at the man in front of him.
"Dodonpa, you have agreed to help us and it is now that you defy me? My father, Briggs, you have an obligation to us, if not to the village of Champa."
Dodonpa now let go of Eoleo and started pacing through the small room.
"Do not inform me with what I already know! It is not my obligations I fret about."
He now took a scroll out of his left pocket and handed it to Eoleo, who seized it without question.
"Tolbi has proclaimed war upon Champa and Lunpa, their armies are headed this way. I should have seen this coming, Tolbi's army will crush us if Champa is not informed immediately."
Eoleo, now confronted with the news opened the scroll with caution. He noticed the seal which was placed on the opening, the seal of Tolbi. He scanned the message, showing no emotion nevertheless. He was not afraid, and he knew excactly waht they had to do.
"I shall go to Champa and meet my father there, we will inform you further on. If it is a fight they want, so be it. "
Dodonpa snorted as he looked at Eoleo aggravated.
"You know, nothing of war! Who are you to talk about it as if you have seen death itself?! "
Now Eoleo was the one to turn angry, his eyes turned blood red and his skin pale white as he looked at Dodonpa, who had exclaimed a loud cry and backed up to the wall nearest to him.
"Do not speak of me as a child! I am more powerful you can ever imagine, deadlier than you may think, do not defy me Dodonpa, you will regret it. You have no idea of what I´m capable of,"
Eoleo now raised his right hand and aimed it at the torch on his right side, the flame burst out a wonderful mix of yellows and blues heating the room at a terrible rate.
"no idea, of my power. You shall not rule me! "
With that he aimed the fire at Dodonpa as it raged to him with an incredible rate. Eoleo laughed as he saw Dondonpa's gruesome face.
"I shall rule you!"
"Eoleo, stop! "
Not a second too late a loud cry was heard, Evana was looking at Eoleo pleadingly.
"Please stop. "
The fire that raged towards Dodonpa now disappeared in midair leaving only the dead terrified face of the man.
Also the state which Eoleo was in, left him. He sighed and then walked towards the door, he opened it and walked out after saying a last few words.
"Prepare yourself for war and take care of Evana, I expect to come back within 3 weeks time. Be ready."
