War is a fickle thing. Some will fight for money, land, or even an ideal towhich they stand for. For the Skaians, neither can remember why they are fighting, nor can they remember when this seemingly ageless war has started. The Dersites believe the Prospitians started the war eons ago, and the Prospitians blame the Dersites for every short coming and every plague that has come upon their land in the last century. Both Kingdoms couldn't be more wrong about the truth, but the truth is something harder to perceive than one might think.

The Dersites, Native to the mountainous regions of Derse, are a war-bearing people. The Dersites don such physical traits as darker skin, broad powerful shoulders, and often red or even purple colored eyes. Often the men of their land are sent off to training at a young age, and soon made to be rough, hardened warriors. The Kingdom of Derse has a history of being politically unstable, often its Kings and Queens assassinated and overthrown in a Coupe, A Coupe much like the one performed by High Prince Strider.

High Prince Strider, or known to his kin as Dirk, struck down the Queen and took her place as High Prince of Derse. The Dersites more or less respect Dirk's rule and his rule more or less absolute.

The commander of Dirk's army is his General, Sir David Strider, known by his alias, The Fire-Breather. David got this persona from his tendency to recite poetry before and after battle, something his enemies often, yet briefly mock him for. David is often seen leading the charge against Prospitian Armies and in his years of combat has yet to suffer a single wound.

On the farther reaches of the plains lies the Land of Prospit. The Prospitians are a fair race, with long flowing hair, delicate paper like skin, and blue or green eyes. Most Prospitians tend to lead a reach, decadent life, often becoming bankers or tailors. Although the war has been going on for centuries, the Prospitians have maintained a rather small army. Their army led by Johnathan, the Heir to the Throne of Prospit. Johnathan is a benevolent leader, and often gives refuge to any Skaian in need, regardless of the flag that they wear. The only anger Johnathan ever showed, was on the battlefield.

The battlefield roared as the two masses clashed and begin to merge as a mass of steel, wood and blood. Their screams and cheers began to play a macabre symphony to anyone sitting in the commander's seat. If there even was anyone in the commander's seat.

Johnathan was in the center of the chaos, swinging his great-hammer to and fro, easily making an indent in the Dersite Army. One would say that his hammer was imbued with the wind itself, and not many who faced the Heir would deny that fact. Johnathan's power made the earth tremble and the gods rethink their immortality. Legend told tales of Johnathan's might, the most embellished was the tale of his slaying of the mighty Denizen Typheus. With each swing of Johnathan's hammer, the Dersite Army's death count rose.

David was not far from the epicenter of the chaos either. David Carefully weaved his way through like a soft red blur guiding warrior after warrior to the afterlife. David was fast, agile, and his swordsmanship was beyond words. Living up to his name, David recited poems and chants that he had written before the fray. The poems would fuel the flame that passed through the battlefield.

Yet amongst the chaos the scene seemed to fall silent as the two commanders locked eyes. A circle of men formed around them as to give them an arena to fight in. David was on edge, he knew that one strike from Johnathan's hammer and he would be done for. David poised himself at the edge of the arena, and Johnathan did what David feared most.

He equipped another hammer.

Now wielding a hammer in each hand, one black, with metal protruding from all sides in a sort of clockwork fashion, and the other a dark green hammer, with a sharp bludgeon poised to strike, Johnathan beckoned David forward. David was confident in his agility, too confident. David charged forward ready to strike and Johnathan parried by dropping his hammer, shaking the ground and causing David to stagger. Johnathan swept his hammer at David's feet, but David quickly leapt over the hammer and took a swing at Johnathan's neck. Johnathan ducked back, surprised by Johnathan's nimble leap. Johnathan would expect David's armor to slow him down and his visor to blind him but it seemed more of an asset and less of a hindrance to David.

David took a few steps back, knowing that a frontal charge might be the death of him. Waiting for a moment to strike, David poised his sword into the dirt, trying to gull Johnathan into a charge. Johnathan saw the nonchalant stance and took it as arrogance, and wasn't about to let David's arrogance slide. Johnathan roared as he lunged forward, swinging the hammer wildly at David. David kicked up the sword, with it a clod of mud was flung at Johnathan's eyes, blinding him. David lunged forward and drove his blade at Johnathan's stomach. Johnathan leapt to the side before the blade merged with his flesh, but his vision was still obscured by the wet earth.

David wasn't about to strike a man whilst he was down. Some of his subordinated might have taken such a vile method but he was above such low-blooded tactics. David waited for Johnathan to stand. Jonathan stood a good foot higher than David, as did his hammer. They both took a moment to ready themselves again and continued their battle.

After hours of battling, David made one wrong move that could have cost him his life, were it not that Johnathan was a benevolent being. David's next and final strike positioned him in the worse place to be near a hammer of Johnathan's size.

Under it.

Johnathan brought the hammer down on David's back, the sheer force shook David's world. His vision began to blur as everything faded to darkness. Johnathan had his men strap David onto the back of his horse, and Johnathan rode away from the fray with David in tow. With David struck down and taken in, the battle was a victory.

Little did Johnathan know that, by sparing David's life, he set in motion a chain of events that would change the entire face of Skaia for millennia to come.