Prologue
It was a time long before any humans inhabited the distant planet of earth, an even longer time before rifles and bullets had the last word in settling matters. In the land of Zaltone, the empires were ruled exclusively by the sword. Zaltone was relatively tiny compared to the massive scale of the Earth but the men who ruled over it were the most feirce the universe would ever see. It was a world untouched by pollution, magic still existed and could be utilized as a weapon as well as a utility for good. Wizards were scarce, a dying breed as Sorcerors were becoming a growing prescence in Zaltone. Sorcereror's were noted for a darker usage of magic and frightened many as the strengthened the Tarkand renegade tribes.
There were five empires that stretched across the land of Zaltone, the most fierce of which being the Empire of Tarkand. Equipped with renegade troops covering tha lands in a devastating sweep that is bringing villages to a swift destruction. The Tarkand warriors were universally feared and respected, and took more than a normal soldier to fend off. The other four empires were the Bendi, a peaceful empire that was on the brink of elimination with Tarkand troops launching daily assaults on them. The Bendi were highly respected due to their peaceful nature and extreme genorosity. Due to this the three empires of Landor, Trinsend, and Collane were forming a massive coalition aiming to attack the forces of Tarkand and bring an end to horror that the Tarkans were bringing. The hope was for this to end up in a time of peace that would be the culmination of their efforts and be the jewel to the history of Zaltore, still, a dark period of time loomed for Zaltore.
War was to take center stage and the outcome could never be guaranteed when violence was given the highest priority and power laid open for any to grasp. The plan was, undeniably, a noble one. The people could only hope that the deepest temptations of men would not surface when the critical moment occured. There were several different outcomes any given situation could take, and as the forces were gathering , many grew nervous.
In the city of Sediana, in the Empire of Bendi, a ferocious battle awaited and the path to war would be travelled with no forseeable end. It was a time for heroes...
PART ONE
BURNING CITIES
1
Atton Betobi awoke in a rushed panic in his miniuscule wooden home, it was furnished by little more than his sleeping mat and his hand snatched his sword in a split second. The cool quiet that usually ruled over his small town had ceased, the day had come. The warriors of Sediana had been put on full alert, swords were sharpened as the drums of war were beating ever quickly. High Assitant Allton had convinced the Emperor not to evacuate the city so they remained awaiting certain defeat, still, the battle had come much sooner than anyone could have expected.
The miniscule town of Sediana was the closest remaining town to the Empire of Tarkand and rows of small cabin houses had no defense for a major attack. Blessed with the greenest grass in Zaltone, during the day Sediana was a beautiful sight for any traveler to see, one that would not soon be forgotten. There were many intertwining paths let sipped in and out of the rows filled with houses. Leading to a small catacomb cave that ended at the bottom end of the town.
Atton was an average sized man, with wavy black locks coming down to his shoulder and his smooth white face completely void of battle scars. He was skinny and would be easy pickings for any of the Tarkand Renegades who were sweeping his town the very moment he jumped from his mat and darted out the back exit of his small living quarters. His sweaty hand gripped his small sword tightly as begging screams and cries of war filled the air with a muggy quickness that dried his mouth. His mind was being worked into a daised panic, his body aching to move foward and distance himself from the carnage that was growing behind him. A dark sky was looking down upon his city with a fearless scowl, this was indeed the fall of Sediana.
"Atton!" A familir voice boomed from beside him, Atton turned to see Jento Gram, his peer also clutching his feeble sword and looking equally as harmless as Atton himself did at the moment. "We have to keep moving! I have a horse ready at the top end of town." His voice was shaken but Atton was nonetheless comforted by his firm plan to get them out of Sediana. Jento was a frail merchant who had begun sales at a young age, he was funny company and could aways be the sunlight that cast down even through the darkest clouds. Atton followed him closely, daring himself to glance back but his eyes keeping focused on the task at hand. His adrenaline was flowing freely through his blood and was gripping him in a vice grip that made every breath feel like a battle. His feet pounded the ground ferociously and he heard vehemous yells and he then knew they were being persued by the feircest warriors in Zaltone. The small dirt paths were familiar and they navigated them easily as more of Sediana lay behind them.
"We gotta go to the catacombs at the end of town, or we're dead. Theire close, just keep moving." Jento yelled as his breezy blonde hair tailed behind him, Atton picked up his speed and felt the air in his lungs shrink once more. The catacombs were close, Sediana lowered into a cave-like path that led towards the end of the town, and to eventual safety for Jento and Atton. The catacomb path was dark as night during anytime of the year but Atton and Jento were both accustomed to it's turns and hooks. They passed the last of the dim row of wooden houses and caught glimpses of a resistance forming and then they were forgotten, a narrow stretch of trees lay ahead and they hit them quickly. There pursuers had apparently given up the chase and the catacombs could be seen by both of them and they slowed to a rushed jog as they closed the gap that remained between them and the catacombs. The night had cut short most of there sight but they felt there way into the entrance of the catacombs carefully and then slowed to a walk as they moved carefully to avoid getting lost as they headed towards the end of the town. The dark cave walls were tight on them as they moved at a snail like pace to get to the end of town, the absolute dark didn't do anything to help Atton's nerves at the moment as his meager footwear was being tested by the stony floors of the catacombs.
"Dammit, we're cutting it close." Jento said nervously as Atton struggles to gather in every breath he could manage without stopping for rest. "I was planning on getting out of here soon, we were supposed to wait."
"What?" Atton said instinctively, he had known Jento all his life and the young man never seemed to be one of strategies and connections.
"The High Assistant to the Emperor sent Donnello Redd to get me, he said I could bring one person, he said we were to leave the following Sunday. I thought we had three more days." The words banged around Atton's head as they moved towards the exit. Donnello Redd was one of the bravest warriors Zaltone had to offer. One of the smartest and quickest ever seen in battle, he was an authentic hero, stories of his escapades from the skirmishes against Tarkand Renegades were legendary. Talk of Donnello was never scarce in Bendi, he was said to be able to duel with the finest heroes and villains Zaltone had to offer with one of the fiercest blades being weilded.
The walls of the catacomb came to a sudden close and Atton followed Jento on the small crease that led to the exit, all was silent and a dim light began to gleam from the other side. Jento sqeezed himself through and Atton followed suit and pushed himself harshly as the walls made one last fleeting attempt to collapse his chest. Still, in a mere second and they lay on the grassy ground looking up at the sky, trying to take full advantage of these breif second of rest. The moist grass was a cool comfort and Atton momentarily forgot the chaos that was consuming his hometown at the very moment, should he have remained there and fought the battle? The question would loom for some time long after Sediana was burned to the ground under the renegade flames.
"Atton, come on." Jento said flattly as he was once again on his feet and moving into the woods on the common 36 Path. "It's just this way, I hope the Tarkand troops aren't patrolling the woods."
"I doubt they would," Atton said trying to reassure himself as the two of them walked quietly as the night watched over them in an unprotective silence that seemed to allow endless possibilities. "Did you see what was going on in the town, what happened?" Atton asked quietly as the path drove deeper into the woods of Sediana. The landscape was shadowed by the night and the looming trees had the prescence of giants clustered together in a silent group, animals made swift moves through the trees and the various sounds of the night were present as well. The knot in Atton's stomach was also maintaining it's consistent prescense with no signs of relenting.
"I was playing cards with Robin and Amare near the patrol lodge at the top of the town and the gates were just rammed in completely." Jento began, "Robin and Amare jumped up quickly and Amare was struck down with an arrow before he could leave the table, I ducked down and snatched his sword and ducked behind the lodge and crept into one of the roads near the houses. People were already rushing out to fight the renegades, not me. I looked back and saw one mounted on a horse, it could've been Krenlo Dabbi himself. After that I was gone, I headed towards your place as quick as I could, everybody who decided to run away was already rushing past me."
"Krenlo Dabbi?" Atton said awestruck, another mention of a legend eased from the lips of Jento and Atton felt uneasy once more as the woods slipped by them. "Is Donnello going to meet up with us down here?"
"No." Jento said as he quickened his pace up to a jog that was immediately joined by Atton, "we're going to meet him in Quattilli."
"Why are you beimg treated so important when the whole town just got slaughtered?" Atton asked harshly and it seemed to sting Jento and he offered no answer, his pace quickened and the wooded path was coming to a quick end. His massive brown horse stood solemnly in the small clearing and could even be made out through the ever darkening night that seemed endless. The two men mounted him quickly, Jento started him into a smooth gallop and they headed towards the town of Quattilli quickly down the path.
They were beginning to pick up speed quickly, the neighboring towns needed to be warned to limit the amount of land the Tarkand forces would take with their opening drive into the heart of Bendi. Atton was already missing Sediana dearly, he fought off the tempting option of drifting into a soothing session of reminiscing. The blunt thud of cattapult fire filled the air and a large ominous glow filled the skyline of Bendi and gave way to a loud crash and Atton knew the city was being razed. Nobody would survive, both relationships he coveted and those he had planned to forge would be forever severred and lost. The trees grew tighter around the path now as they descended into the deepest parts of the woods and Atton doubted strongly that they would reach Quattilli before dawn.
What to make of this, Atton wondered, how would he ever progress throughout his life with the loss of his beloved Sediana. He had been a well respected person there with friends and loved ones that cherished his company, and he had longed to make Gracy Parrish his wife. His ambitions were now shattered, the town was being burned to ashes as quickly as their horse thundered through the night. Amare had been hit in the chest with a Renegade arrow, he was one of the most beloved sons of Sediana and he had been struck down without a second thought. he had been ready to fight. Robin had jumped up quickly as soon as he saw somebody even trying to break into his city, Jento and Atton had seen a resistance forming and he could only imagine who was at the center of it. The old, the ill, the children all rushed to fend off the unimagineable threat that loomed over their city while Jento and Atton had rushed past them with a pair of cowards' hearts that seemed to equal a tenth of Amare's heart, even after being ripped apart of the steel tip of a renegade arrow. And still they ran, and still they survived, hoping that somehow they will be doing good in warning others of the attacks.
2
A cool breeze swept across Atton's face, serving as his wake up call for another grueling day. Perhaps the most trying of days would face him as these upcoming weeks passed, and even with that perspective he was aware of how shortsighted he was viewing things. His eyes peeled upon reluctantly and a pleasant blue sky presented itself, brightened by the son perched high proudly overlooking Sediana, where god's gift for splendid architecture was more obvious than in any other place in Zaltone. His head was still heavy from the events the previous night had bestowed upon him but he was no worse for the wear, he sat up slowly, his head releiving itself from the comfort that the cool grass offered only to see Jento still sleeping. His merchant days seemed to be failing him indeed, here he was supposedly leading them to safety and he had not yet awoken well into the afternoon hours. Atton glanced over at the tall horse standing over Jento and decided it time to go, they were lucky to maintain a feverish pace the night before so that the luxury of a late sleep would not cost them their lives, because the Renegade threat was still to close to be ignored.
Atton willed himself off of the ground and brushed off his rugged outfit, which days ago had been purchased with the intent of catchin the eye of Gracy Parrish but now seemed better suited for catching the eye of en expert talior. He approached Jento and leaned over him quietly, placing his hand on his shoulder and shrugging him softly.
"Jento, Jento!" Atton said needlessly for his companion was already stirring from the sleep which had entrapped him. Jento took in the amount of daylight uneasily and was on his feat quickly, he stood in place for a moment staring at the ground and than moved towards his horse and proceeded to mount it and they would be off again shortly.
"Let us finish out journey towards this place so we may be able to continue to distance ourselves from this conflict my friend." His words spilled out tiredly and Atton could relate with them too easily, he climbed attop the gallant horse and they continued down the common path easily.
Atton was not a man of military strategies and ideas so he was stuck wondering how the Tarkand renegades were proceeding with things behind them. Would they stop to secure their territory or would they move at a thunderous pace killing all that stood before them with a steady hand and a mean scowl to accompany it. He knew all speculation was pointless, he did not know the true intentions of the war campaign and thus had no idea what to base his speculations on. Atton could only hope that their encounter with Donello Redd would be extremely enlightening and also offer a safe passage into nuetral territory if their still remained any.
The journey at hand did not turn out to be particularly arduous, at least not to Atton. He sat atop the horse as Jento worked it into a decent speed and they moved through the woods easily. So far any sign of war had been absent, left behind them in a mysterious frenzy that seemed to leave any possibility open. Maybe there had been a last minute string of negotiations had come to be and the attacks were put on hold. However, Atton was at a severe lost to conjure up any other reason for why the Renegade forces were progressing so slowly. The tales that had been pressed into his brains since the seeds of conflict were planted were that of Renegade forces sweeping ferociously through the countryside stopping only for a quick breath of air and a decapitation served from the sharpest edge their blade had to offer. Yet here they were, Jento and Atton slipping through the woods drawing on the fortress city of Quanttilli.
Sightings of fellow travelers on the Common Path were, disregarding the name, scarce to be found. Another perplexing event that Atton also had no answer for, for the moment he was merely content that they had received no resistance and were only an hour or so away from their destination and also only an hour or so away from an encounter with Donello Redd. What journey could await Atton, only nineteen years old and noted only for his various odd jobs around Sediana, he had a fairly quick witt and a nose for the quickest way out of trouble but that was it.
Atton Betobi was an eternal lone wolf, he could not even remember his real parents or even if he had ever been in their prescense when he was old enough to understand who they were. He could not even summon their names through the most strenuous of thought sessions and had occassionally blacked out from the more intense of them. He had been raised by a neighbor's family always serving as second string to their son Arland, who had passed away the previous year due to the Traveler's Plague. They would never speak of his parents to him, nor would they speak of his parents to anybody, and that was just fine with him. His parents had apparently blessed him with a handsome frame and large amount of charisma and that was enough to get by on in Sediana, but those skills were not regarded highly in a fight to the death or called upon during a journey to places beknownst to only the most extreme of soldiers and wizards and heard of only in second hand tales.
Jento steered their tiring horse around a sharp hook in the path and their stood Quanttilli. A magnificant fortress built out of the most stirdy of oak and cement from Bendi and hidden within the depths of the wood off of the Common Path and Armed Passage only. It stood only a few hundred yards from them down a steep hill and as they approached Atton could make out guards manning their positions at the entrance gate, looking like mice to the humongous walls that sat ominously behind them. Not the most gorgeous of structures, Quantilli was specifically designed to house those of importance, which served as yet another riddle for why Jento was heading here, and Atton could only assume that Donello Redd had the answer to this as well.
As they approached the fortress captured the full attention of Atton, it's massive outer wall topped with sniper out posts every few yards and men were barely visible surveying the land of Bendi. From his view at almost the very bottom of Quantillit it almost seemed that the outer walls of theis shelded city were holding up the entire skyline.
"Hold Sir!" An abrupt yell stemmed from slightly below them and suddenly a threatening sword was at his throat, but at once removed into it's sleeve. "Sorry sir, could not see your face, caution is outr top priority at the moment and all suspitious people must be inspected." Atton looked down at the large man standing atop the rugged dirt path and was surprised he did not sink into it. His voice sound like sandpaper being scratched together and through the opening of his armored helmet Atton could make out a scar stretching across his face.
"Oh, I was just taking a look at this wall." Atton said risking another glance at the amazing structure, "My first time in Quantilliti." Atton explained as another soldier was lookig over some sort of document Jento had handed over to him.
"Very well." The soldier said and they motioned for them to get off of the horse and the two of the stood in front of the mammoth pair of soldiers feeling tiny to the furthest degree. "You may carry your swords into Quatilliti, you have pre-arranged housing apparently so you have the fortune of avoiding the log in station just head down the corridor to the city and avoid any of the other passage ways, good day." Atton gave the soldier a nod and followed Benson into the corridor through the slim opening in the wall. Once inside the walls Atton felt as if he were imprisoned, the walls towered above them and the windowless metal doors every few yards served as no amazing source of comfort for him.
"What's with these doors Jento, do they lead anywhere." Atton asked as they neared the end of the corridor, towards the center of Quantilli.
"Mostly to log in I guess, don't know. We're heading to town anyway, after we get to our quarters and get settled." Get settled, that was something that Atton regarded as extremely unlikely in this particular scenario, butterflies were building up in the pit of his stomach in anticipation of an encounter with Donello Redd.