The earth rumbles, and the Five Towers shake. The sky rumbles, and lightning strikes the earth. Great are the sheets of rain that now bombard all under the sky. On the fifth and centermost Tower of Turris Quinque, King Lucis Bane gazes towards the West with great fear and despair. In the West lies the Lands of the Pit, or in proper terms, Noctur. Turris Quinque and Noctur were locked in a constant battle for thousands of years. The strength of Quinque was great, however, the power of Noctur could not be undone. Even now, the Enemy refuses to allow a clear sky, so every month would bring a week where the distinction between the land and the sky dissolves. The rains seem endless as they smite the crops and hammer on the roofs. It has only been three months since the Rains came, and already the city was on the verge of collapse.
Lucis sees no victory in this fruitless war against the Enemy. Whereas Noctur had endless armies and powerful weapons, he only had the support of a limited number of barely trained men and a low supply of raw materials that could be used to forge weapons. Yet, he is afraid that there is no escape from the War. It was not always like this. Just only half a year ago, Quinque had the alliances of men from the North and South, and also the great elves from the East. Alas, even they realized the hopelessness of the War, and the alliances disintegrated.
Suddenly, the heavy clouds of storm clear and return to the Pit from whence they came. Lucis sighs deeply and gets up from the Throne. Slowly, he walks down the steps from the pinnacle of the Tower until he comes to the main hall. The guards solemnly open the East Door Lucis steps grimly outside, to the raised platform outside the Door. The crowd is cheering for the light of the Sun. They sing songs that praise the bravery and might of the King over the Enemy. Lucis appears tall and kingly in front of the crowd. He clears his throat and starts his speech, “The Kings and Queens of Yore have guarded the Citadel of Quinque, the center of humanity, for a thousand years. Now, I shall do the same as my ancestors have done. For I am King Lucis Bane!” The crowd hails their Great Lord. Yet to himself, his words are empty.
In the crowd is Lessador Caelyn, the son of Oliver Caelyn, the great warrior who once drove back a battalion of the Enemy with only nine soldiers by his side. Oliver was perhaps the most famous warrior of his generation, second only to King Lucis himself. Lessador had trained in his father’s footsteps and rivals his skill. He was clever as his father, perhaps even more so. However, when he looks upon the King of Quinque, he sees a great leader that even his father admires greatly.
Suddenly, the ground rumbles as if in an earthquake. The King’s expression grows serious, and he shouts in a clear and powerful voice, “To arms, my fellow brothers and sisters! Drive back the evil away from our lands!” The King and his guards rush towards the West Tower, where they will command their armies. He uses a special stone that allows him to speak directly with his generals who have a receiving stone. They are called the Eversight Stones.
Lessador runs to the barracks and sees that his troops have already assembled in full armor. He smiles at the five hundred soldiers rallied before him. His lieutenants help put him into his armor. A lieutenant hands him a small wooden box. Inside is a pendant inlaid with a glowing white jewel, one of the receiving Eversight Stones.
Lucis Bane stands on the viewing balcony of the West Tower of Turris Quinque. The moment he sees the Enemy is the moment he finally loses even the last sliver of hope. The opposing troops resemble an ocean of enchanted steel rather than an army. He estimates that the Enemy’s army is about thirty thousand strong. Lucis sees the Sun slowly falling into the Pits of Noctur, and he stares at his own army, eight thousand men flowing quickly out of the city gates.
Lucis tries to think, but it seems that the ability is swept away by the foul oceans of the Enemy. Lucis gravely asks the chancellor, “What shall we do? Their army is indistinguishable from that of the sea.”
The chancellor responds, “We cannot risk a full-frontal assault. Nor could we shoot them with arrows. We must attack from the sides! Surround them!”
Lucis raises his Eversight Stone to his mouth and commands, “Attack from the sides! Surround them!” The army splits in half, and both sides charge in their ways.
Lessador leads his battalion Northwards. A few arrows streak past as he rides swiftly upon Veloxian, one of the Lords of All Horses. He looks back at the West Tower, and the warmth of hope fills him, for he believes that the King knows the exact way to win this battle. The King never fails to guide his men to victory and peace. That moment, he remembers when the King himself went into battle and single-handedly bested the Enemy’s greatest general, Maligus.
On that hallowed day, the sky was cloudy and dark, as if the Sun was trying to hide away from the sheer enormity of Maligus, who was covered with silver armor so scintillating that it burned the eye. Lessador had seen ten winters then as he watched King Lucis charge at Maligus, sword raised. When he brought it down and it clashed with the foul blade of Noctur, a sharp sound pierced the air and both sides fell to their knees. Only King Lucis and Maligus were unhindered. The mighty blade of King Lucis gleamed even when there was no light. Each strike caused a piercing sound and in the end, the blade pierced the thick armor of Maligus and, after an explosion, Maligus was no more. The remaining opposing army quickly retreated back to the land of Noctur.
Lessador’s chin rises as he remembers the glory of his King. Finally, Lessador arrives at the position and, with his men, charges at the Army of the Enemy. His sword meets no resistance to steel, enchanted or otherwise, for it was forged from a rare metal called Vithiar, the same material that King Lucis’ sword was made of. He sees that his troops around him are skewered by the foul spears of the Pit. Lessador’s sword spins and twirls as the soldiers from the opposite army fall around him. Suddenly, he hears the sound of a horn.
Lucis stares at the battle in despair. He sees his men dying on the battlefield at the hands of the foul creatures of Noctur. From the ground, the sound of a horn echoes. Lucis sees that from the North and South, huge armies of men, each about ten thousand strong, come upon the Armies of the Pit. He is stunned by the sudden arrival of the two armies. For a moment, he is confused about what he should do. Then, he puts his hand on the handle of his sword, Durendal, whose power is so great that it guarantees the victory of any duel. Quickly, he unsheaths the blade and commands, “Armies of Men, attack!”
Lessador is astonished by the power of King Lucis, who somehow convinced the men of North and South to fight with them once again. He shouts out, “Hail King Lucis Bane, the King of Turris Quinque!” With that, the Armies of Men charge once more with renewed vigor.
King Lucis Bane is astonished by his narrow escape from total annihilation. When the battle ends in the victory of Men, the Kings of North and South come to him. The King of North intones, “For six months, the creature of the pits had sieged us. When that great storm came to us, the besieging army disappeared. We followed them and saw they were attacking your city. Furthermore, the Enemy somehow managed to corrupt the Eversight stones and deceived you into thinking that we turned our backs on the alliance. Never would we do that! Victory to the union of North, South, and Center!”
The King gains a small amount of hope. He declares, “Indeed. Victory to the union of North, South, and Center!”