Prologue:
Entonio sat at his desk smiling as he pored over maps of his 'Phathanian Empire', the Carthaki Empire and went over his plans for Cyprus.
Toparg entered and looked at his general, over the last few years he had known him, his master had grown more sinister as her grew and grew with the favour of the pope of Ilyares, shaking his head at the millions that would die should the pope give him the thumbs-up for his diabolical plans.
Entonio saw Toparg's shake of the head, he looked up completely from his work and said, "Well?"
Toparg jumped, saluted Entonio and said, "The pope requests a private meeting to discuss your plans."
"Well by all means tell his royal holiness that I will be there." When Toparg didn't move, Entonio said coldly, "You are dismissed."
Quickly walking out of the small room he cursed silently and Toparg would relish the day when he could watch Entonio die slowly and painfully, just as he watched Toparg's brother and sister die or even better killing Entonio with his bare hands.
El're danced through the crowded streets of Lat'pu the capital of Cyprus, waving and petting the local tamed Panthera and Lupus who roam the streets, and laughing at the northerners who run and scream "Giant cats!" Or if it was a lupus "Giant wolves!" from what he had been told of their language.
El're sometimes got annoyed when he was ambushed by some travellers and made to tell the story of what the Panthera and Lupus were it was the same: "They are not immortals they were here long before we heard of a Stormwing and they live in the cedar forests on the coastline."
Some of the more educated northerners gave the Panthera and Lupus gifts consisting mainly of meat and bones and were startled to see guards riding pony-sized carnivores armoured with steel plated teeth and claws, El're himself had a Panthera which was a few months away from being called a "War Panthera" he was lucky to have one: most of the kids his age had to make-do with a pony or horse.
Visiting the blacksmiths he asked the blacksmith if he had finished repairing his sword: he had broken during a training exercise, the smith replied no and asked him to come back tomorrow.
El're hurried home snacking on some meat and curry pies, remembering that his mother had made fresh cakes that morning he ran through the stables stopping only to pat and give his Panthera, Leopold a bone.
Fearing that he would be too late for his mother's delicious bread and butter cakes.
When he arrived in the kitchen/dining area he found the silver platter where El're's mother's cakes usually rest empty of even the smallest crumbs.
Looking around he saw his older sister, Jasc eating one of the cakes looking at his sister with sudden desperation he quickly said, 'There's a bug on that one." El're's sister was just about to take another bite when hearing her younger brother's words dropped the cake with a squeal, quick as a flash he dived for it and El're had happily eaten the cake before his sister recovered.
When she realized what he had done she was about to cry, "Mum!" when a loud thudding sound stopped her, it repeated itself again and again slowly louder, thinking it was an earthquake, El're ran out of the house and on to the street a lot of other people were doing the same thing including his older sister Jasc.
The thudding continued getting louder but now El're could distinctively hear grunts of exertion and splashes.
Curious at what could be making those sounds he ran in the direction of it: south, as El're reached the harbour wall he began to climb when he reached the top he was greeted by a horrific sight: 800 warships each longer than 300 metres rowing at a perilously fast rate, the warriors on the ships silhouetted against the sun, suddenly realizing he should worn the guards he looked around, just below his feet was a dead soldier serval red-feathered arrows buried deep in his chest, feeling sick El're vomited near the dead guard.
Wiping his mouth El're noticed the guard's seashell horn well, if I don't worn the town, who will? He thought, taking the shell to his lips he blew as hard as he could, the sound emitted from the horn sounded like a Stormwing shriek only magnified 10 times.
The reaction from the citizens of Cyprus was almost automatic: women and children inside the stone houses men old and young put on armour and picked up swords and shields some mounted or set loose war trained Panthera and Lupus.
Feeling better that he had done something useful, El're fell down into the harbour a red-feathered arrow buried in his shoulder and he remained unconscious of the battle scene occurring around him.
El're woke to the sound of roaring, growling, screaming and the smell of burning wood, slowly rising because of his hurt shoulder, it took El're a while to get his bearing, shaking his head to rid himself of dizziness, he looked around seeing nothing but stone walls, sea and a sewerage tunnel that leaked into the sea.
El're wondered about the continuing screams and smoke he slowly started to realize that he sounded the alarm to warn of sea invaders.
Looking at the sewerage tunnel he realized that he had to crawl through it and face the invaders but first he had to deal with a certain red-feathered arrow, looking at it El're couldn't imagine the pain that pulling the arrow out would cause, gritting his teeth El're took a grip on the arrow and pulled surprisingly he didn't faint but the pain was incredible and forced him to his knees still gritting his teeth El're told himself that he was a man now, a man.
Feeling dizzy and faint, a scream and the roar of a house going up in flames reminded him why is was there, ripping off his wool socks and tearing it into strips he made himself a crude bandage.
Looking at the tunnel he regretted the need to go through it, getting on his hands and knees and crawling inside the small tunnel he realized how poor the light was and as El're went deeper the fouled water reached his chin and the reek of human waste became stronger till it was close to unbearable, he could feel his shoulder wound itching he knew turning around and scratching it would do little but cause it to bleed and further irritation.
As the tunnel widened El're found he could stand instead of crawling, as he waded through the stream of human waste he considered what he would find on the other side of the ladder that he expected to find, soldiers perhaps? Maybe a commander/ if there was a commander on the other side of the ladder El're would have to kill him, he didn't like the sound of that event though he had killed before in a live blades act it was only by accident and El're had been severely punished: 10 lashes and he couldn't ride Leopold for a month not that he could mount his Panthera after 10 lashes anyway, reminded of his Panthera he wondered how he fared as he was just out of cubhood and had 3 months of training left before he could be called a "War Panthera".
Finally after what seemed to El're as years of wading through waste he saw and approached the iron rungs that led upward that meant to El're, freedom.
Gripping the rusted, algae encrusted rungs El're climbed upward, once again the question of what he would find on the other side entered his thoughts once more.
Reaching the top of the 'ladder', he started pushing on the stone blocking him from fresh air and the events happening above him, he continued to pushing and banging on the stone and quite suddenly a scratching sound on the stone above him made him stop, the scratching turned to scratching/banging.
El're narrowly avoided severe brain damage as the once solid stone above him cracked and crumbled under some nameless pressure and splashed to a stop in the sewerage stream below.
When the dust cleared, El're looked up and saw his Panthera Leopold fully saddled and armoured jumping around yowling revealing his steel plated teeth and obvious happiness.
As soon as El're climbed out of the hole leading to the sewerage he congratulated his pet/friend grateful that he was alive and well.
Leopold or Lee as he was often called began to jump up and down eager and full of energy.
Looking at Lee he commanded, "Stand." Leopold immediately lost his kitten like acts and stood his flickering tail the only sign he was happy.
Looking around El're finally saw the full extent of the damage: all the wooden building reduced to piles of char, the stone buildings collapsed on top of it inhabitants and dead bodies everywhere the whole scene of destruction clearly evident.
El're felt deeply sorry for everything and hoped his family and friends were O.K it was pointless he knew but he had to do something turning to face his Panthera who was prancing nervously he said weakly "Home?" Lee ran away a short distance then stopped as he waited for his master to catch up then ran away again.
There wasn't much left of El're's once proud home and glorious home, he vaguely noticed the lack of screams as he started to rummage through the ruins looking for anything that could be salvaged he found an honour spear and a dull gladius.
"Hey you!" the soldiers words echoed through the once busy street, fearing that the soldier was talking about him, El're turned slowly and didn't make a sound to his surprise he saw that the person the soldier was talking about was his sister Jasc running towards him or away from the soldier either way she was plainly terrified and running straight towards El're.
Jasc fell with a scream of pain an arrow in her back as the soldier put his bow and arrows away Jasc made a weak attempt to crawl away the soldier just laughed and walked towards her unsheathing his broadsword.
Raising it to the proper height as El're's sister continued to crawl away he sliced it down cutting Jasc's back and realising a blood curdling scream as again and again the soldier hacked like it was some sort of job that had to be done, El're could only stand watching the soldier butcher his sister finally she was put out of her misery with a quick chop to the head.
The soldier wiped his brow then wiped his broadsword on what remained of Jasc's dress leaving a bloody streak.
Finding his voice El're yelled and threw rocks at the soldier turning towards Lee he said, "Stand." Mounting his Panthera he picked up the honour spear and held it like a javelin and yelled at the now interested soldier "Charge!" Lee's hindquarters bunched up and let loose a powerful spring and another till he it was a full-blown charge.
Lee roared making the soldier flinch and lower his sword as El're sped past he threw the spear clean into the soldier's heart and out his back.
Slowing Lee down and turning him slightly so he could see the soldier fall on his knees, drop his broadsword and finally fall face first into the now blood streaked cobbles.
Turning Lee completely around he guided him forward with knee commands the halted him as they reached El're's sisters body dismounting he picked up his sisters corpse and walked towards their once proud house shifting the rubble with his foot, El're buried his sister with tears in his eyes and a quick prayer to Jasc.
"Come Lee." Remounting his Panthera he galloped him towards the harbour and prayed to the gods that there was one sea vessel left.
Kaddar sat at his desk writing reports when a tall, curly-haired, brown-eyed man said something in a foreign language, "Sorry I don't understand." Emperor Kaddar said slowly.
"Ah Carthaki." The new comer said, "Sorry but I thought you would understand Ilyarian, my apologies, I've come to claim my throne."
Kaddar openly laughed, "And who might you be?" he asked he was laughing so hard tears were gathering at the corners of his eyes.
"Entonio ruler of my Phathanian Empire." Entonio said with contempt as he withdrew his sword, Kaddar's laughter died in his throat, "Wait! How did you get past my guards?" Kaddar asked desperately.
"Their my guards now." Entonio said eyes crazy with power.
A/n: please review!